A Sense of Obsession
by DragonflyXxXDancer
Summary: Hermione notices that something is terribly wrong with her Potions Master. She wants to help him, but she doesn't realize that her growing friendship with him is placing her in an inordinate amount of danger. *Now Discontinued and the Redux is posted*
1. Chapter 1

**A Sense of Obsession**

****

**Disclaimer: All these fabulous characters belong to J.K Rowling. I do not own them in any way nor am I making any money from them.**

Summary:

Hermione senses that something is terribly wrong with her Potions Master. She wishes to help him...but what she doesn't realize is that her growing friendship with him is placing her in an inordinate amount of danger. Rated M...Hermione is in 7th year. Does not follow the events of HBP and DH.

**A/N:** This is my first try at writing a fan fiction based on the extraordinary Harry Potter series of novels. I don't know if the plot line I have is clichéd or not as I have only recently began reading fan fiction for this series. So, I'm not sure if I have written everyone entirely in character, they may be slightly OOC.

Reviews are appreciated immensely, they let me know how good or bad my story is and they allow me to improve my writing.

I have no beta...as of yet anyway...so mistakes are solely my fault.

I hope you enjoy!

* * *

"_Crucio!_"

Sparks shot out from the end of the wand held by long, thin fingers. The curse hit its intended target, causing the victim to drop to his knees with his face contorted in agony. Yet, he refused to scream. No matter how much pain he was in, he would not scream.

"You dare not scream?" shouted his torturer. "You will scream! _Crucio!_"

He braced himself, knowing the spell would hit him soon. When it did, he clenched his teeth, determined to bear the pain. It would be over soon, he knew. The Dark Lord would soon relinquish his torment.

He did not scream.

"You impress me," hissed the Dark Lord as he broke the connection. "Your strength is admirable."

His victim remained on his knees, he dared not stand. Not from fear, no, he was not afraid of Lord Voldemort. He knew his place; he had to bear the pain, for that was his job.

"I will not tolerate failure," he heard Voldemort say. "You will give me what I want. I want that potion by the end of the week."

He bowed his head in response and stood. He then turned and left the creaky, old building that his Master was using as a lair.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

It was a typical day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Term was in full swing as students from all houses scurried the corridors, some heading for their designated class for that period, some heading for their common rooms and others heading to the Great Hall.

The "Golden trio" as some called them, were headed for double Potions, much to the dismay of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley and delight of Hermione Granger.

"Double Potions?" exclaimed the red headed boy. "I hate Potions, never mind having to suffer double Potions with Snape. It's _torture_!"

"Honestly, Ronald." Hermione replied, "N.E.W.T. level Potions is a fantastic subject to have, especially if you wish to be an Auror."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it." The boy snipped back.

Hermione rolled her eyes as they descended the staircase to the dungeons. She was beginning to find Professor Snape to be an extraordinary teacher, especially now that they had entered their seventh year at Hogwarts. He was still mean, and still favoured Slytherin above Gryffindor, however; he was no longer making as many snide remarks towards her person. He did occasionally, but never as much as he used to.

That didn't mean he had changed his behaviour towards Harry and Ron however.

As they entered the classroom, they each took their respective seat and removed their text books from their backpacks. The class was full; everyone was there...well almost everyone.

Severus Snape was nowhere to be seen, Hermione noticed. _At least, nowhere to be seen... at the moment. He could come barging through that door any second._

Her inner musings were confirmed soon enough, when a loud bang came from the entrance way to the class. The door had slammed against the wall, but much to the shock and surprise of many students, instead of the usually powerful stride Snape had when walking into his class, it was rather slow.

_And weak,_ Hermione thought.

The room fell silent as they watched their usually fearsome professor move to the front of the room and, with a flick of his wand, place instructions for that day's work on the board.

He had not said a word, and it was frightening. Snape usually said _something_.

And he finally did, "By the end of class today, you will all brew an acceptable Draught of Peace. This should be relatively easy for you all, however; I'm sure there will be some exceptions to this." His black eyes were fixated upon Harry and Ron as he spoke his last few words.

Hermione smiled, class should go well for her, yet again.

As the class sprung to life, gathering their ingredients and cauldrons, Snape walked to his desk, grimacing as he did. He sat down and winced as he leaned back against the chair.

This went unnoticed by every student bar one.

And it concerned her.

Snape had never looked as bad as he did then.

She sensed something was wrong, something was horribly wrong.

She turned her attention back to her cauldron and the task at hand. She brewed her potion, adding all of the right ingredients at the correct times and ensuring to stir it when necessary and in the correct direction.

She knew she had done well, even for her standards.

She continued to sneak glances at her Potions Master, and her worry intensified.

He was in pain.

Many reasons as to why crossed her mind, each one more terrible than the last. She knew of his spy status. He was a double agent; pretending to spy for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named while actually relaying information about the Dark Lord to Albus Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix.

Class ended. Everyone bottled up samples of their potion and placed it on Snape's desk. Harry and Ron were eager to get out of the room, so when Hermione told them she would be staying behind for a few minutes they said their goodbyes and promised to meet in the Great Hall later.

So, soon enough, Hermione was the only student left in the class.

This didn't go unnoticed, "Yes, Miss Granger, what it is?"

She stepped forward, "I...I couldn't help but observe that...that you, uh..."

He raised an eyebrow, "That I what, Miss Granger?"

"That you seem to be... seem to be in pain, sir," she stuttered. Her hands clasped her Potions textbook against her chest as she came to a stop a few feet away from him.

He appeared to be shocked at her apparent alarm, "That is none of your business, Miss Granger. My well-being is none of your concern." His voice was cold. He continued to scribble remarks on the essays he was graded, fully expecting her to leave.

She didn't.

"Miss Granger, as you can plainly see, I am busy. Please leave."

"Professor," she began, "perhaps I could alert Madam Pomfrey for you?"

Her sweet tone irritated him, "I do not need the services of Madam Pomfrey, Miss Granger. Do you honestly think that I am incapable of brewing a pain relieving potion?" His voice was raised slightly out of frustration. "Now please, leave."

_Ah ha! He just admitted it._

"So you are in pain, Professor?"

"Miss Granger!" He snapped. "I find your persistence to be incredibly annoying. I am busy and do not need nor am I asking for your help. Now, leave!"

She sighed in defeat and swiftly left the class. Snape exhaled a long breath, attempting to calm his temper and control the aches coming from all over his body.

_She was only trying to help you. _An inner voice taunted.

_I do not need her help._

_You clearly do. Or at least you need someone's help. You can barely walk, and the agony you feel is overwhelming. You have certainly never received a Cruciatus curse as powerful as that before._

_Maybe not, but I do not need Granger's pity._

_She was being friendly._

_I saw pity in her eyes!_

_No, you saw concern._

_They are the same thing!_

_No, they are not._

_Yes, they are._

_No. They are not._

He argued with the inner voice for what seemed an eternity before he came to the realisation that he needed to apologise to his star pupil.

_Since when do I refer to her as that?_

_Since now, clearly._

He growled and decided to make his way to his private chambers. He had no classes for the rest of the day, so thought it best to try and rest. He would request a talk with his worried pupil later.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

As they had agreed, Hermione found her friends in the Great Hall, sitting at their usual places at the Gryffindor table. She plopped herself down on the bench, huffing her anger as she did so.

"What happened?" asked Harry. "What did Snape say?"

"What did you ask him anyway?" added Ron.

"It doesn't matter," she replied. "I can honestly say I have never met a person as stubborn as Severus Snape is, I assure you."

Harry and Ron glanced at each other, "Okay." Harry said, clearly confused.

Ron's curiosity was piqued however, "What did you say?"

"I said it doesn't matter," she hissed. "You wouldn't care anyway," she muttered under her breath.

"What wouldn't we care about, Hermione?" Harry wondered.

"It's nothing!"

"It is something if it's bothering you so much." Harry argued.

"It's Snape, okay? Didn't either of you notice how he was behaving in class?" At their bewildered looks, she continued, "He barely spoke a word, nor did he insult us for the entire class. He was walking as if his whole body was in agony. Does that not worry you, even a little bit?"

"No, not really." Ron replied quickly but when he spotted Hermione's disgusted look he hastily added, "It's Snape, isn't it? He's a strange bloke."

"Why are you so worried, Hermione? This _is_ Snape we're talking about. I think he is perfectly capable of taking care of himself." Harry added.

Her voice was low and laced with something they couldn't quite place, "He places his life on the line every day, for the Order, for Dumbledore, for us... for you, Harry. Are you not worried that his role could be discovered at any moment? If Voldemort finds out that Snape is a spy for the Order..." she trailed off, suddenly finding herself unable to speak those words.

Harry gave her a look of assurance, "As much as I hate him, I'm sure he knows what he is doing. Though, I'm still having trouble trusting him..." He sighed, "But that is probably due to my dislike of him."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Hermione began to study her Potions textbook, while Harry and Ron read over their Defence against the Dark Arts notes. All three were startled when they heard the shriek of an owl.

They looked up and watched as an owl swooped into the room from a window at the end of the Hall. The bird gracefully landed in front of Hermione, dropping an envelope onto the table.

She studied the animal; its feathers were as black as the midnight sky while its eyes were large and the colour of amber. It was a truly beautiful creature.

The bird then extended its wings and took to the air, flying from the room, leaving an echo of its call behind it.

The three young Gryffindors were stunned...it was past the time for the arrival of mail, so who had sent Hermione a letter?

"Go on then, open it," urged Ron.

She pulled the flap back and pulled the parchment from the envelope. She read it silently.

_Miss Granger,_

_I request that you come to my classroom at 6pm this evening. I have some things to discuss with you._

_Consider it... extra credit. And I know how much your studies mean to you._

_S. Snape_

She glanced upward from the piece of parchment. Harry and Ron waited impatiently for her to tell them who had sent her the letter.

"Well?" said Harry.

"Professor Snape wants to see me this evening. That's all it really tells me."

"That git!" Ron screeched. "He sent you a detention by owl? Now that's a new low, even for him!"

Hermione smirked, "I don't believe it is a detention, Ronald. I think it may be an extra credit Potions lesson."

"Oh God, even worse," he mumbled.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Like it? Hate it? Would you like me to continue? I would love it if you left a review =)


	2. Chapter 2

**A Sense of Obsession**

**Disclaimer: **All these fabulous characters belong to J.K Rowling. I do not own them in any way nor am I making any money from them.

**Summary: **Hermione senses that something is terribly wrong with her Potions Master. She wishes to help him...but what she doesn't realize is that her growing friendship with him is placing her in an inordinate amount of danger. Rated M...Hermione is in 7th year. Does not follow the events of HBP and DH.

**A/N:** Wow! I have never had so many reviews for one chapter before xD Thank you so much everyone, it means a lot ^_^

I have no beta...as of yet anyway...so mistakes are solely my fault.

I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 2**

The rest of the day passed rather quickly. Before she knew it, it was time for dinner. She met up with Harry and Ron and they travelled from their common room down to the Great Hall, where they took their usual seats and began to fill their plates.

Hermione glanced around the room, she appeared rather anxious to Harry's eyes. Why he didn't know, but he assumed it was to do with dark, dungeon bat they knew as their Potions Master. He really couldn't understand Hermione's love of the Potions. Snape always insulted her in front of their class, which was full of pure-blood favouring Slytherins. He always put her down... making fun of her intelligence by calling her "an insufferable know-it-all". Harry couldn't understand that either. As far as he knew Snape liked intelligence, he didn't like "dunderheads". Hermione excelled at Potions, so in all technicalities she should have been Snape's favourite student.

But she wasn't. Or, it didn't seem like she was. He wondered if the only reason Snape was mean to her was because she was his friend...and a Gryffindor.

Harry knew Snape was an intensely private person. He learned that in his Occulmency lessons in his fifth year. So he figured, that internally anyway, Hermione could very well be his most favourite student.

He shook himself from his thoughts and ate his meal, occasionally gazing back and forth between Hermione, Ron and the Head Table, where the teachers sat. He was listening in case he was needed in conversation with his friends, and watching Hermione's fascination with the Head Table. Her eyes were searching and he noticed a flash of concern and wonder pass through them.

He remained silent with his observations. He did not want to incur his friend's wrath.

Soon, the three had finished their meal, though Ron had decided to take second and third helpings. Hermione soon excused herself. It was a quarter to six and she wanted to make it down to the dungeons with time to spare. She told her friends that since Snape had requested her presence, by owl no less, it would be polite to not be late.

So, she left the Hall and took the quickest way possible down to the dark and dreary dungeons. She had encountered a few less than friendly Slytherins along the way, but the trip was relatively event free other than that.

When she arrived she knocked the door three times. She heard a rough "Enter" come from behind the wood. She slowly opened the door, being careful not to make too much noise, and then closed it behind her, stepping forward into the room. She made her way towards the large, medieval looking desk.

Snape wasn't sitting there; quite frankly she didn't know where he was. She knew she had heard his deep, silky voice, she would recognize it anywhere. It was then she heard movement coming from his store cupboard and saw what was clearly his shadow from underneath its door.

"Professor?" she enquired softly while walking closer to the store room. "Professor, you wished to see me?" Her head was slightly inclined, trying to peek inside.

A loud crash caused her to jump backward before rushing forward.

"Professor!" she squealed, pulling open the door to reveal a rather flustered and ill-looking Snape. "Oh, Professor, are you alright, sir?" She knew he wasn't, but she thought she had better ask anyway.

He sighed deeply, stepping down from the ladder he was standing on, "Yes, Miss Granger, I am fine... my stores however, are not."

She bent her knees, dropping down to the mess of the floor. She inspected the damage, "Only a few bottles are broken, Professor. I'm sure these could be replaced fairly quickly."

He turned around and she stood. He sounded exasperated when he said, "You are mistaken. These were my Veritaserum stores, they are not easily replaced. It will take weeks to re-brew them." He ran a hand through his hair and stepped out of the small room.

Hermione followed and observed him. He was still wincing when he moved in certain ways, this saddened her. He was still in pain.

She decided she had better not bring it up after their last discussion, "You, uh, wanted to see me, Professor? You said you wished to discuss some things with me?"

"Ahh." He sat at his desk, closing his eyes as he felt a wave of pain flood over him. When it passed, he continued, "Yes. I wanted to apologise to you, Miss Granger. I was... too harsh with you earlier today. You didn't deserve to be the victim of my temper."

Hermione was shocked. _He is apologising? Severus Snape does not apologise... least of all to me. _"Uh, thank you, Professor. I forgive you."

"I'm glad." He took a breath, and let it go slowly, "I'm glad, as I wish to ask you something."

She was intrigued, "Yes, sir?"

"I heard from Professor Dumbledore that you are considering several options for further studies after your education at Hogwarts. I understand that Potions is one of them?" He leaned back, trying to find a more comfortable position.

She nodded, "I have been considering a further education in Potions for a while now, sir."

He hummed in apparent approval. "I believe that may be a very wise choice. Your grades are exceptional."

_Was that a compliment?_ "Thank you," she replied.

"If you are serious in pursuing Potions, then maybe it would be useful for you to attend some extra lessons, with me of course, throughout the course of this year." He paused for a moment, to try and gauge her reaction. She was pretty readable; she liked the idea so far. "It would give you some valuable experience with the art of potion making and potion research; however, it does not guarantee you a place at a wizarding university. But, it does give you a significant chance of being accepted into one."

Her smile was infectious, his lips curled into a smirk, a small one, but a smirk nonetheless when she responded. "I understand, Professor, and I would be very grateful for that, if you are willing to teach me."

"I am. You must follow my precise instructions, Miss Granger. Some of the potions we will be brewing in these lessons you have not come across before. Some are very dangerous." Hermione spotted him reach for his quill, dip it in ink and write something down, but she nodded her understanding. "Very well." He handed her the note, "Take this to Professor Dumbledore if you please."

She smiled again, "Of course." She then walked towards the door; he noticed that there was a skip to her step that he hadn't seen before.

"Oh, Miss Granger?" Hermione turned to face him. "I would appreciate it if you did not let slip my little... accident... to your... friends."

She shook her head, "Of course not, Professor. And, if it's any consolation to you, I hope you feel well soon." She then opened the door and left.

Alone in his classroom, Severus Snape allowed himself a sad sigh. He wouldn't feel better any time soon, not after the torture he had suffered. Yet, he refused to take anything to help soothe the pain. He would not be portrayed as weak by doing such a thing; he could and would handle it.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Hermione paced the corridors heading in the direction of Albus Dumbledore's office. Dinner had been over for a while now so she guessed that the Headmaster would promptly return to his room.

She arrived at the gargoyle and spoke the password. As the gargoyle moved to reveal a stairway, she stepped onto it and waited patiently. When the stairway ceased its movement, she walked into the Headmaster's office and over to his desk.

She had been right. The famous and most powerful good wizard sat at his desk, engrossed in conversation with Minerva McGonagall.

"Excuse me, Professor?" she said timidly. "Professor Snape has given me a note to pass along to you."

Dumbledore and Minerva's glances fell to the girl, "Why, of course," he replied, reaching his hand out to grip the piece of parchment as Hermione held it out.

His eyes, as well as Minerva's, swept over the clear script. Their expressions shone.

"So, you have decided to take a further education in Potions then, Miss Granger?" the elder witch asked.

"Yes, Professor McGonagall," Hermione confirmed. "Professor Snape has told me that he will prepare some extra classes for me, he said it would give me 'valuable experience'."

"Indeed it would, Miss Granger," said Dumbledore. "Severus Snape is by far the best Potions Master I have had under my employ. Even if his teaching methods are...harsh occasionally, with him as your mentor, you will go far."

Hermione smiled. She knew Dumbledore's words were true. Snape could be cold, mean, and fully deserve to be called a "git" at times, but she wholly believed he was by far her best Professor.

"Very well," her Head of House added. "I support you in your choice, Miss Granger."

"Thank you, Professor McGonagall."

Hermione then made her way back to the Gryffindor common room to let Harry and Ron know of the news. She doubted they would be happy with her choice, but they would support her.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

His arm burned. He understood the reason why and without a second thought, he answered the call. He apparated to the location and walked into the old building, following the noises until he reached the correct room.

He slowly, cautiously stepped inside, searching the room for his Master. He spotted several other Death Eaters standing around...waiting for his arrival it seemed.

He moved across the floor, bypassing the large and deadly snake his Master had as a pet, and knelt before him.

"My Lord," he said, his voice laced with respect.

"Do you know why I have called you before me?" hissed the Dark Lord.

"No, my Lord," he replied. He kept his head down and listened for his master's next words.

"I want you to keep an eye on Severus." The large snake slithered past the man, winding itself around the chair and allowed its owner to stroke its head. "I sense that our old friend may be confused as to where his loyalties lie."

"Certainly, my Lord. As you wish."

"Do not let him know of your intentions, Lucius. He must believe that you trust him. How else will he trust you?"

Lucius Malfoy nodded his understanding, before leaving to accomplish his task.

* * *

Like it? Hate it? I would love it if you could leave a review and let me know of any comments you may have =)

Chapter 3 should be up sometime this weekend ;-)


	3. Chapter 3

**A Sense of Obsession**

**Disclaimer: **All these fabulous characters belong to J.K Rowling. I do not own them in any way nor am I making any money from them.

**Summary: **Hermione senses that something is terribly wrong with her Potions Master. She wishes to help him...but what she doesn't realize is that her growing friendship with him is placing her in an inordinate amount of danger. Rated M...Hermione is in 7th year. Does not follow the events of HBP and DH.

**A/N:** You have no idea just how much I appreciate all the wonderful reviews! I thank each and every one of you for them. I'm glad you are liking the story so far ^_^

I still am without a beta, so mistakes are my own fault.

I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Night had fallen. The Castle was lit magnificently, a truly breathtaking sight for someone standing in the castle grounds.

Severus Snape looked up at the school; his expression contained a speck of frustration. He had decided to make a trip down to the Forbidden Forest to collect some essential ingredients for his potions. He was a perfectionist at heart; he would rather collect the rarer, more complex substances himself. He knew then that they would all be picked, or harvested, at the correct times. Yet, he found himself distracted from his hunt after only ten minutes. That blasted Granger girl occupied his thoughts once again.

He had found himself thinking about her a lot more often than he wanted to. He understood that he required help in brewing the potion the Dark Lord had requested of him, and when he mentioned his assignment to Dumbledore after his last meeting with the most dangerous wizard of all time, Dumbledore told him to follow through with the demand. After all, if he didn't, the Cruciatus Curse wouldn't be the first curse that jumped into Dark Lord's mind in response. Avada Kedavra would.

Dumbledore had also told him, well reminded him, that he would need the assistance with the brewing and Snape had immediately thought of the Granger girl. She was his best and most clever student, certainly one who was capable of concocting extremely advanced potions. He even admitted that she was the best Potions student the school had seen in years, perhaps even...since himself. Hermione Granger was definitely a Potions Mistress in the making, something he was going to ensure became a certainty.

The only problem with the arrangement was the lies he would have to tell her. Dumbledore has said that he preferred the term "illusions" as the girl would think she is making one thing, when it was really something else entirely.

"_Lies!" Snape had snapped. "I will be lying to her, not creating 'illusions'. How am I supposed to regain the girl's trust if I lie to her?" _

"_She will trust you, Severus," the elder wizard replied. "This I am sure."_

"_How can you be so sure?" Snape paced the floor in front of Dumbledore's desk. "When Potter and his friends discovered my...double life, they believed I had betrayed the Order. They assumed before asking questions. Potter and Weasley still do not trust my allegiance with the Order!" He stopped his pacing and placed both hands onto the wooden table, leaning over it while saying, "How do you know that Granger will not be the same?"_

"_Because Miss Granger has always trusted you, Severus. She may have been a little...wounded at the discovery, upset that she and her friends had not been informed. However, I honestly do not believe that she has truly thought you were ever a dark, evil wizard."_

_Snape turned around sharply causing his black cloak to swirl, mimicking his movement. He proceeded to make his way out of the office, throwing the words, "We shall see. When she discovers the lies, you willed be proved wrong," back at the brilliant old wizard behind him._

He shook his head at the memory and thought it best to return to his chambers with what he had managed to collect: daisies, doxy eggs, nettles and some leeches. It wasn't as much as he had originally planned, nor the ingredients he had initially set out for, but they would stock up his storeroom slightly.

As he descended the stairwell to the dungeons, he was positive that he felt a presence outside of his classroom. Yet, no one was there... no one visible anyway.

"Potter, wandering the castle after hours yet again?" he said, making sure to add just the right amount of threat to his tone. "I am well aware that you possess an invisibility cloak, Potter. I suggest you show yourself immediately."

To his great surprise... but causing a rush of admiration to wash over him... it was not a tall, spectacle-wearing male Gryffindor that was revealed, but a short, bushy-haired female from the same house.

"I'm sorry, Professor," she uttered, "but I was...uh...awaiting your return. I need to...speak with you."

He opened the door and stepped inside, ushering her to do the same. "And what, pray tell, is so important that it could not wait until morning, Miss Granger?"

They manoeuvred around the desks, coming to a stop at his storeroom. Snape stepped inside and placed his specimen jars on one of the shelves and listened as Hermione said, "I'm sorry, sir. I wouldn't have bothered you if I didn't feel that it was important."

In a bold move by Hermione's calculations, she stepped forward and clasped Snape's right hand. She lifted it, daring not to look into his obsidian eyes, and placed a small black vial into the middle of his palm. She then risked a glance; he did not look angry but, rather confused.

"What is this?" His velvet voice washed over her, causing her heart to beat erratically.

"It is a pain-relieving draught, Professor. I obtained it from Madam Pomfrey after I delivered your note to Professor Dumbledore." She braced herself for the vicious rant she was sure would come tumbling from her thin lips. When it didn't, she continued, "I couldn't bear to see you in so much pain, Professor. I know what caused your agony... you shouldn't suffer."

Snape stared at the girl in front of him. She appeared so sincere... she sounded so sincere in her worry. He couldn't understand why she would if he was in pain or not, but knowing that she did sent a foreign feeling to course through his body. A feeling of warmth and he felt his chest constrict and tingle.

"And I'm not going to leave until I see you drink it, sir." Hermione's inner voice told her she should back away, but her sudden boldness did not want to back down. "I know the second I turn to leave you will probably tip the potion out or smash the vial in a poor attempt to portray strength." Her grip on the invisibility cloak tightened when she saw his right eyebrow shoot up into his hairline.

"Miss Granger, I am sure you are aware that I do not take kindly to being commanded by my _students_." His voice was deadly low, but Hermione sensed something different. It was not a deadly voice in that he would punish her, strip vast amounts of points from her house and give her a month's worth of detention. No, it was deadly because he was using an unfamiliar tone. Almost, teasing.

She gazed at the lanky man before her and watched as his pulled the stopper from the small bottle and, while keeping his knee-melting stare directly on her face, her eyes, lifted the bottle to his lips and poured the foul tasting liquid down his throat. "There," he said after swallowing, "you can go now."

She beamed, "Thank you, Professor."

He waved his hand to brush off her comment and instructed her to head back to her dormitory under the cloak. She obeyed him without question, the last thing either of them needed was for Professor McGonagall to find her wandering the corridors at night, after paying a visit to him.

Hermione slept soundly that night, knowing her Potions Master was no longer in pain.

Snape slept restlessly, plagues by disturbing dreams involving Death Eaters, and, Hermione Granger.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Night turned into day, the bright moon transformed into an even brighter sun, and the students and teachers of Hogwarts awakened to find a beautiful morning awaited them.

The halls bustled with children; a sea of black and house associated colours filled the corridors. Everything seemed perfectly normal, until floods of students flocked to the Transfiguration courtyard, intent on watching the latest argument between Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.

It was over before most of them could arrive, Professors McGonagall and Snape made sure of it. It disappointed many of them; Harry and Draco fights could be highly entertaining. They watched as the boys were escorted into Professor McGonagall's office, a chorus of "oohs" and "ahhs" followed.

Ron and Hermione had tried to pry Harry away, tell him that Draco was not worth the hassle and not worth a response, but Draco had him so riled up he couldn't take their advice. Hermione shook her head in disbelief. They were in seventh year now; surely the childish behaviour had to end at some point? But, it didn't look like it was going end any time soon.

"That will be more points taken from Gryffindor," she huffed as she and Ron walked to sit on a bench under the large oak tree in the courtyard.

"Yeah, but points will be taken from Slytherin too." Ron answered. "Then again, with Snape there, who knows what will happen."

"You know, Professor Snape isn't as evil as you think." She tossed her head to the left, effectively flicking some stray hairs from her face.

Ron mumbled, "Sure he isn't."

Harry didn't emerge from the room until fifteen minutes later. He looked positively irate.

"I hate Snape," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Everyone does mate." Ron replied.

Hermione paused before standing while whispering, "I don't." But it was unheard by her two friends.

Trying to cheer up his friend, Ron said, "C'mon, it's Defence against the Dark Arts with Professor Moody next. We don't see Snape 'til later."

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

The sleek black owl sat on its perch in the owlery, its amber eyes searching, watching its owner place a piece of parchment into a tiny white envelope. The note it had delivered was short and sharp, clearly one that was unexpected and unwanted.

_Severus,_

_My friend we need to talk. Meet me at the Manor tomorrow evening._

_Lucius Malfoy_

The bird cooed happily upon receiving its treat and extended its wings. It carefully took hold of another envelope and then took to the air, flying out of the narrow window and towards its destination.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Time for Potions class soon arrived, much to the dismay of Harry. After his incident with Malfoy earlier, he did not particularly want to come face to face with his nemesis or Professor Snape again that day. But, he knew his luck wasn't _that_ good.

When he, Ron and Hermione arrived at Snape's classroom for their Potions period, they were stunned to realize they were the first to get there. They spotted Snape hovering over his own personal cauldron and witnessed him drop something into the bubbling pot. All three wondered what he was concocting, but they decided to remain silent and take their seats.

When Snape didn't acknowledge them, they all thought that he must not have been aware of their presence. But, oh how they were wrong.

"I'm surprised to see that you three are the first to my class," he said, not lifting his eyes from his cauldron as he stirred the contents slowly. "But, I have to say I'm impressed with your punctuality."

Harry and Ron exchanged surprised glances at one another, whereas Hermione grinned at the compliment. She swore she saw the faintest hint of a smirk on her teacher's face when he saw her friend's expressions.

Silence filled the room until the rest of the students began to pour into the class. When Snape detected that the entire class roster was present, he lifted his gaze from his cauldron and flicked his wand to the right, effectively closing the classroom door.

"Turn to page three hundred and ninety one." His silky smooth voice filled the air, resonating off of the cold, brick walls and into in ears of his pupils. They all obeyed immediately, some slower than others, but they all had the page open in front of them before their Professor's next words. "Study the recipe, paying particular attention to the ingredients, for I want two rolls of parchment describing the potion's effects with particular emphasis on the dangers that this potion can bring."

Soon the sound of scratching quill tips against paper and the bubbling of the potion at the front of the class were the only noises audible.

"Draught of Living Death?" Ron whispered.

"This is an N.E.W.T level class, Ronald." Hermione answered in an equally low tone.

"When did I allow discussion in my class, Miss Granger?" came the lethal, albeit expected, snarl from the dark haired man at the front of the room.

To the "Golden trio's" amazement, Snape did not take house points from them. He merely gave a warning in his typically threatening tone of voice. It had clearly shocked the Slytherin pupils as well, who were eagerly awaiting their beloved Head of House to punish their rivals with a drastic loss in points.

Draco Malfoy was incensed. He was used to his favourite teacher spiting his enemies, not letting them off the hook. _Especially the Mudblood. _His inner voice mumbled.

Class continued without a hitch, seeing as they were not brewing an actual potion that period. Hermione relished in studying the interesting, but dangerous potion. Harry and Ron were rather bored after the first fifteen minutes. The group of teenagers shuffled and broke into chatter when Snape dismissed the class. Draco's mood soured further when he saw the three people he detested packing their bags and chatting amicably. However, when Snape spoke up a few second later, a wild grin claimed his face.

"Miss Granger, please stay behind." Snape was again standing behind his personal cauldron, turning down the heat and proceeded to grab several small bottles from a shelf behind his desk.

Draco left the class feeling as though justice was about to be served cold.

Harry and Ron left feeling as though Snape had a new, and more evil, personal agenda against their friend.

Hermione stayed behind knowing that not of one those things were true. There really was no reason to punish her, though knowing Snape, she did concur that he _may _have a reason. But, she also knew that he most certainly wasn't picking on her... not anymore at least.

When she and Snape were the only ones left in the room, she spoke up, "May I know why I am here, Professor?"

Snape glanced at her and then back to the vial he was holding. He slowly decanted some of the potion he had made into it and uttered, "Discussion – unwanted discussion – in my class will not be tolerated, Miss Granger. If you are to assist me, you must learn how to obey rules, all rules, no matter how insignificant you may think they are."

Hermione winced slightly at his words, "Of course, sir. I didn't mean to...disturb you."

He finished filling up the potion bottles he had lain out, "You are forgiven. Now, you will return here after dinner tonight. We will begin your extra lessons with the brewing of some medicinal potions, for these are incredibly useful. Once you have mastered these, we will move on."

"Yes, Professor." She moved to leave the room

"Oh, Miss Granger?" She gazed at him, "Thank you, for the potion last night."

She grinned, "You're welcome."

Snape's eyes followed her as she left. As much as he hated to admit, he truly appreciated her act of kindness the night before. He certainly felt better and the pain was becoming unbearable.

His thoughts turned to the meeting he had been requested to attend at Malfoy Manor. He wondered what Lucius could possibly want with him. No doubt it was a reminder from the Dark Lord about the desired potion.

He placed his head in his hands, moving them to sweep through his shoulder length hair. He would attend, of course, but that didn't mean he would be looking forward to it.

* * *

Review please? I hope you are enjoying the story so far. Sorry for the slight delay in posting. I was unexpectedly busy over the weekend. I hope this chapter makes up for it!


	4. Chapter 4

**A Sense of Obsession**

**Disclaimer: **All these fabulous characters belong to J.K Rowling. I do not own them in any way nor am I making any money from them.

**Summary: **Hermione senses that something is terribly wrong with her Potions Master. She wishes to help him...but what she doesn't realize is that her growing friendship with him is placing her in an inordinate amount of danger. Rated M...Hermione is in 7th year. Does not follow the events of HBP and DH.

**A/N:** Again, thank you all for the wonderful reviews. They are appreciated =)

I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

Chapter 4

The Great Hall was alive with the sound of laughing children, teenagers and adults alike. Dinner was being served and everyone was eating and enjoying the hour they had to relax and be in the company of friends; everyone other than Hermione Granger.

She sat silently at the Gryffindor table. She held a fork in her hand, pointed directly at her plate, but she was not eating. In fact, she was playing with her food, pushing it around the plate, causing terrible scraping sounds to be emitted. Harry and Ron cringed; metal against porcelain was not a pleasant sound.

"Hermione please stop that," Harry begged. "It gets annoying after a while."

She looked up, startled, "Oh sorry, Harry." She put the fork down, laying it on the plate and proceeded to push it away.

Ron looked at her incredulously, "You not hungry, 'Mione?" His mouth was full, Hermione just rolled her eyes.

"No, Ronald, I am not." She glanced down at the table. "I'm nervous," she whispered, but Harry and Ron were able to hear her.

Harry dipped his head in understanding, "It's your first 'extra class' with Snape tonight, isn't it?" She nodded, "I don't blame you for being nervous, who knows what he will make you do."

Hermione stared at him while saying, "He said something about healing potions...medicinal stuff."

Ron swallowed the food he was chewing and then scoffed, "Yeah, so he says. For all you know he could make you brew something that is more likely to kill than save."

She glared at her friend, "Just because he...he is a..." She found that she couldn't say the words, not in such a public area anyway. "He isn't as evil as you think he is, and like it or not, he is the best Potions Master this school has ever seen. So I'm glad that he is giving me extra lessons." She stood sharply, "And I trust him, even if you don't. Now, if you two don't mind, I have to be somewhere." With that she stormed out of the Hall.

Harry locked eyes with Ron and shook his head, "Hermione knows what she is doing, you know."

"I don't like this," the red head replied.

"Neither do I, but I trust Hermione. And if Hermione wants to get extra lessons in Potions then that is her choice."

Ron grumbled. It was then they heard the loud call of an owl. Their heads shot up in the direction of the noise and they saw the same jet black owl that had delivered a note to Hermione just a day before. It swooped through the air and landed on a perch in front of Professor Snape.

They watched as the dark man gently plucked an envelope from the bird's grasp and run a finger under the flap. He pulled out a piece of parchment and his black eyes scanned the words on the page. Harry looked on in wonder as Snape's face contorted in what seemed like worry, to then be replaced with the familiar scowl of anger. Whatever was written in that note must be important, that he knew. For it was a second later that Snape bolted from the room, his trademark robes billowing behind him.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXx**

_Severus,_

_Sorry my friend but plans have changed rather suddenly. We have to meet tonight. _

_Meet me at the Manor, 8pm._

_Lucius_

He shot through the corridors and down the spiral staircase that lead to the dungeons, his classroom and his chambers.

He found her, sitting outside the Potions classroom with her head in her textbook. He studied. She seemed rather... irritated. He debated whether to cast a non-verbal Legilimens and skim the outer most surface of her thoughts at that moment, but decided against it. He had no doubt that her fury was caused by those friends of hers anyway.

He cleared his throat softly to get her attention. Her head snapped up and her eyes found his. She stood quickly and looked like she was going to say something before Snape raised his hand to halt her words.

"Unfortunately, Miss Granger, the arrangements I scheduled for tonight have to be cancelled." He didn't know why a wave of guilt washed over him when he saw her expression change from a giddy excitement to sheer disappointment. "I am needed... elsewhere." He hoped his tone portrayed to her just what this "elsewhere" truly meant and he was relieved when she gazed at him knowingly.

"Oh," she started, "of course. I understand." He noticed her glance at his left arm and he shifted uncomfortably. "Is it..."

"It most likely involves him, yes." He answered, anticipating her question.

"Ah." He watched her glance at the floor then back into his eyes, "Be careful." Her voice was so quiet, but he had excellent hearing. He was a spy after all.

"Do not worry yourself, Miss Granger. As I have said before, my well being is not of your concern." He paused for a moment, "But...I appreciate it."

She gave a shy smile and picked up her book bag. She placed it on her shoulder and clutched her Potions text to her chest. He shooed her, waving his hands in a "hurry along" gesture. She walked to the spiral staircase and turned her head to see him disappear into the room. She sighed sadly. Something wasn't right; she had a gut instinct that something was very wrong.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXx**

The blond man sat patiently in his living room, waiting for his friend to arrive. He was beginning to lose that patience however, seeing as the eight pm deadline had passed. He stood and began to pace and, at eight fifteen, he heard his fireplace crackle and gazed at the bright green flames that appeared. He saw a black figure step out and brush the soot from his cloak and grinned when he recognized the figure as his friend.

"Severus, I was beginning to think you were not going to show." There was clearly amusement in the blond man's tone. He motioned to the couch, encouraging him to sit.

"Well, it was...difficult to leave without arousing suspicion, Lucius." The raven haired man replied. "Plus, a student cornered me in the Dungeons. I couldn't very well ignore her."

Lucius eyed the man, "No, I suppose not." He grabbed a bottle of firewhiskey from a cabinet, "Would you like a glass?"

Snape declined politely, "What is it you need to discuss with me, Lucius? It was a very inconvenient time to call me away after all."

Lucius flicked the platinum blond hair away from his eyes and poured some of the liquid into a small, but expensive, glass tumbler, "Oh it was? How so?"

Snape made the best annoyed looking face he could muster, "Dumbledore has forced me into giving a student extra lessons in Potions...an... apprenticeship of sorts, to allow her to have more experience in the field when she searches for university placements." Snape clasped his hands and his voice became harsher, "I was planning to start her classes tonight after dinner. But, I then received your letter."

Lucius grinned, "Your owl is marvellously trained, Severus. She is a fast flyer and very obedient too. Excellent for a bird only obtained a few months ago." He sipped his drink, glancing back at his friend with a raised eyebrow. "I'm sorry to disrupt your teaching, truly I am, but it was important. The Dark Lord has insisted that... well, Severus he needs that potion."

"I am aware of this, or do you not remember the torture I received only a number of hours ago?"

Lucius' smile faded, "I remember. I'm truly sorry that had to happen to you, Severus. You are my friend. But you did not obey the Dark Lord's command."

"He did not give me enough time!" Snape yelled. "A potion this...intricate cannot be rushed! You have to convince him to give me more time, Lucius. A week...it will never be completed in a week."

Lucius' smile faded. He looked... worried for his friend. Snape didn't know whether it was authentic or just an act. "I will try, Severus. But, I cannot promise."

Snape stood and stepped towards the fireplace, "I will send Leaena to you in a few days with a note of whatever progress I have made."

Lucius nodded, "Okay."

Snape sensed his friend was in thought, "What is it?"

The blond man stared at the man, "I have always wondered how you came up with that name for your owl." His voice was laced with a curious intrigue.

"Is that really any of your business, Lucius?"

"No, I am just curious."

Snape gave in; he knew he wasn't going to be able to return to the Castle without giving an answer. "It is a Latin term for lioness." Lucius appeared confused, but Snape didn't really care. "Now if you excuse me, if that is all you needed to speak to me for, I really should be going."

The blond rose from his seat to bid farewell to his friend and in a flash of green light the dark man was gone.

Many thoughts ran through Lucius' mind. His assignment for the Dark Lord and his friendship with Severus was causing an inner turmoil he hadn't felt before. He did not want to betray his friend, but he did not want to disobey his Master either. However, the main thought on his mind was the owl's name. Why would Severus call his pet by a name that meant lioness? The lion was the symbol of Gryffindor house at Hogwarts... not Slytherin.

Maybe the owl already had the name when Severus purchased it? Or, if Severus did name it, maybe he just _liked_ the name. He shook his head, he was overanalysing things. It was just an owl. The name of the creature didn't really matter.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Snape arrived back in his rooms and with a sigh he ventured out into his classroom and sat at the desk. He picked up his quill and decided to grade some essays he had neglected. But, he found he could not concentrate. He dropped the quill and ran his hands over his hair in frustration.

Suddenly, a thought entered his mind and he quickly grabbed the quill again and a piece of leftover parchment. It was very narrow as a result of tearing sections from it to send letters to Lucius and was covered in red ink at one corner. It was long enough though, to write what he needed.

_Miss Granger,_

_Sending you a letter this late at night is highly inappropriate, so please forgive me._

_However, I need to discuss some things with you immediately... and no it cannot wait until morning._

_I will explain everything fully when you arrive at my chambers. Though, the least you deserve is some information now._

_I need your assistance in brewing a special potion. It is exceedingly complicated and needs a variety of ingredients; some which are very rare to come by, some which are common. However, there is one ingredient that isn't rare per say, but it is difficult to obtain without there being some... question._

_Take Potter's cloak if you can. I will be waiting for you on the Grand Staircase anyway, next to the second floor corridor entrance, if you are unable to obtain the cloak. After you meet me, you can remove the cloak and I will escort you to the Dungeons._

_S. Snape_

"Leaena!" He shouted and he soon heard the familiar hoot of his precious pet coming from his rooms.

As he strolled in, he spotted the beautiful bird sitting on a perch by the small window. He held out the parchment and the bird gently, being careful not to nip her Master's fingers, opened her beak and gripped the note. She stretched out her magnificent wings and flapped them once, taking to the air. She then flapped them several times and flew out of the window. He walked over and watched as the owl gracefully soared through the night skies, flying higher and higher in the direction of Gryffindor Tower.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXx**

She had found sleep to be difficult, especially knowing where he was. She was scared. Severus Snape was a brave man; he knew what he had gotten himself into when he had agreed to resume his role as spy for Dumbledore and she knew that he knew what he was doing. But, that didn't mean she couldn't worry.

_He is an expert duellist and master potioneer. He has been a double agent for years. You are being, as he put it, a "silly little girl"._

_It is not silly to be scared for him._

_It is silly when you think about who he is. Severus Snape is a Death Eater, a spy, an Occlumens... I think he knows how to take care of himself._

Her musings were interrupted by a loud tapping sound coming from the window next to her bed. She sat up and gazed at the glass, noticing the pretty black owl that she knew belonged to the man she had just been thinking about.

She quietly unlatched the lock and opened the window, careful not to wake any of the other girls in the dormitory. The bird hopped inside and dropped its message into her hands.

"I really must learn your name," the girl whispered while turning the parchment over to begin reading.

Once she had finished, she glanced back at the messenger who cooed softly at the attention. Hermione lifted her right hand and ran the backs of three fingers down the chest of the owl. The bird took two steps forward and nudged Hermione's arm with its head. Hermione guessed (as she didn't really know if her assumptions were correct, she had never owned an owl) that the owl was showing her some sort of affection, like when a cat rubs its body along its owner's legs. Her heart melted when the bird cooed again, seemingly confirming her theory.

Hermione quickly threw on some jeans and a light green tee shirt. She knew she'd never been able to sneak up to the boy's dormitory and grab the invisibility cloak without waking the boys, so decided it would probably be best to move stealthily along the corridors and down the steps until she met Snape, who would give her an alibi if needed.

She walked into the common room and out into the seventh floor corridor, with the owl following close behind her. She found this strange. Didn't the owls usually return to the owlery? She chose not to dwell on the subject; the bird was friendly enough and was silent as it flew beside her. It wasn't going to cause her to be caught out of bed after hours. It seemed to be helping her.

It surprised her how easily she managed to sneak passed the teachers on patrol. She thanked her friendship with Harry and Ron then; it did give her some useful tips.

She manoeuvred the corridors and down the steps of the Grand Staircase until she spotted Professor Snape, who signalled for her to hurry and get to him. When she reached him, he ushered her down to the Dungeons, but, not before they bumped into Argus Filch.

"Severus! I see you've found a delinquent, Hermione Granger too." The caretaker looked gleeful, "Where are Potter and Weasley, girl?"

Snape raised his chin in a signal for her to answer him, a signal that would merely look like he was reprimanding her to anyone else. But, Hermione knew that he was going to aid her with this little problem. "They are not with me Mr Filch, they are in the dormitory."

"That is strange, don't you think, Severus?"

"Indeed it is, Argus; however, I will deal with Miss Granger. You need not worry." Snape then directed her towards the Dungeons again.

She paced forward, almost having to jog to keep up with her Potions Master's stride. When they arrived, Snape pushed her, although it was a tender shove rather than a violent one, into his office and through into his personal rooms.

He cast several wards, including silencing charms and locking charms. He was making sure no one was going to interrupt him, Hermione knew.

_Not that anyone would anyway. _She thought.

He turned around and started to walk forward. Out of fear, or habit...she wasn't quite sure, she matched his movements, except she went in the opposite direction.

He took one step forward, she took a step back. It went on until she bumped into the wall, glancing at it quickly and back to him just as fast.

The man clad in black smirked but didn't say anything. He just reached forward and took hold of her arms, pulling her forward and then pushing her sideways and backward, until he felt the backs of her knees collide with his small, leather sofa.

He shoved her onto it. "Don't be nervous, there is no need." He sauntered around the couch and Hermione watched as the black owl that she had completely forgotten about in their haste swooped over her head, drawn to the sharp whistle her Master had gave a second earlier.

The bird sat on its perch and hooted happily when she spotted her dinner, held by the nimble fingers of her owner. She cooed as he placed a mouse in front of her and, when he walked away, jumped down from her perch to enjoy her feast.

Hermione looked on in wonder. She had never seen Snape look as...caring as he did in that moment.

"What is its name?" she asked softly, entranced at the scene before her.

Snape glanced at the girl before replying, "Leaena." His short, curt response was all she expected.

"So your owl is female." At his nod she said, "It's a lovely name. She is a beautiful creature, Professor, really. She's as black as the night sky with honey coloured eyes. She must be a rare; I have never seen an owl with her colourings before."

Hermione saw his lips curl upward. Yes, he clearly cared for that bird.

"I have called you down here to speak with you about a potion that is very complex, Miss Granger. You must do as I say when we brew this." He studied her. Her nerves were still there but she was definitely paying attention to him, which gave him hope that her help may be worthwhile. "You will not need to worry about gaining experience by brewing several potions, for if you and I brew this correctly... it will be all the experience you need."

"You said in your letter that some ingredients are difficult to come by?" He nodded again, "Does that mean you will be teaching me how to hunt for potion ingredients too?"

She saw him smirk again, "All in due time, Miss Granger. Perhaps I will but luckily enough I have all the ingredients for this potion already, all except one."

Hermione stared at him, her curiosity reaching new levels. "May I ask what this potion is supposed to do?"

He anticipated her question, "You may. The potion is experimental at the present time, Miss Granger. No one knows the exact functions this potion will bring. It is supposed to be a combination of the effects Veritaserum and the Imperius Curse." He heard her gasp and instantly knew why, "Yes, it is a Dark potion, Miss Granger. And Dumbledore knows I have to brew it."

"Why do you need my help?" she asked, unable to control her curiosity.

"This potion needs two sets of hands. I cannot complete every step myself. You are by far the best Potions student this school has seen in many years, so naturally you would be the only one I would trust to help me." His response stunned her. The expression of his feelings as it were shocked her; he was never one to reveal as much as he just had, nor give her such a huge complement. "Dumbledore knows I have to brew this potion for the Dark Lord, Miss Granger. He wished for me to lie to you, to create an 'illusion'... make you believe you were creating a harmless potion when in reality you were helping me to create this. But I couldn't. I couldn't lie to you, not when I know how much you distrust me already."

"I do trust you, Professor. I know why you did what you did and I understand your position." Her voice was still a whisper, but he knew her words were the truth. He didn't feel the need to doubt her.

"Very well. If this is how you feel, I should tell you the about the potion's essential ingredient." He turned towards her, "It needs the blood of its creators. There is a way to make the potion exceedingly more powerful if one of the creators is...is a..." His voice faltered.

Somehow, she knew what his next words were going to be. So when she heard him stutter, she finished his sentence, "A virgin."

"Yes. A virgin's blood is pure, innocent. It purifies the potion, making it much more effective. But as I said, this potion is experimental." He sighed, "I have no idea if it will work nor do I know if you are―"

"―I am," she interrupted. "I am, so I will still help you. But what if the potion doesn't work? What will happen then?"

"Do you really have to ask that, Miss Granger?"

She gasped again, realizing what he meant. "Then we will have to make sure this potion works...very well," she snapped. "And honestly, Professor, if we are going to be working together like this, can you start to call me by my given name?"

He smiled at her tenacity, "Certainly, Hermione, as long as you begin to call me Severus."

* * *

Like it? Hate it? Anything I need to make sure I correct before I move onto the next chapter? Please review =) Just no flames please, if there is any criticism let's keep it constructive and polite. That's all I ask ^_^


	5. Chapter 5

**A Sense of Obsession**

**Disclaimer: **All these fabulous characters belong to J.K Rowling. I do not own them in any way nor am I making any money from them.

**Summary: **Is in the previous chapters.

**A/N:** Thank for all for the wonderful reviews. I'm glad people are enjoying this story so far. It makes me happy ^_^

Please enjoy chapter 5! =D

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 5**

Two days had passed and Hermione found herself down in the dungeons again... in the Potions classroom, standing over Severus Snape's personal cauldron.

It was Saturday; Harry and Ron had decided to book the Quidditch pitch to get some needed practise while she attended her lessons with Snape. She was grateful that they had seemed to accept her choice of apprenticeship, though they still made faces when she said she had to meet up with their Potions Professor. She didn't mind the faces as long as they kept their mouths shut.

Her thoughts turned to the events that happened the previous day.

_She remembered sitting in the Great Hall during a study period in the morning, head buried in her copy of __**Advanced Potion Making**__ when she heard the usual screech of owls at mail time. She looked up and saw a swarm of them, swooping down to drop letters, packages and newspapers into their recipient's hands. She searched the air, hoping to see a particular bird flying in her direction._

_She was disappointed when all of the owls left the Hall after delivering their mail. She felt her heart drop._

_That was until a sharp call echoed off of the walls and Leaena burst through the window, her extraordinary wings flapping gracefully, and came to land in front of Hermione._

_Harry and Ron were visibly shocked to see this bird again, knowing full well that it must belong to Snape because it had delivered his first note to her a few days previous. _

"_Snape is sending you more letters? Why doesn't he just come over here and tell you what you need to know? Lazy git." Ron ranted. Hermione just rolled her eyes at the boy._

_She watched Leaena step forward and hand her the small envelope. Hermione opened it and pulled out the piece of parchment. Her eyes skimmed the note; a smile graced her lips at his wording._

**_Hermione,_**

**_I need you tomorrow... all day. Don't make any plans with Potter and Weasley._**

**_We will begin to brew the Imperitaserum, so I need your full concentration._**

**_I hope you are able to rise early because I want you to meet me in my class at 8am._**

**_Don't be late._**

**_Severus_**

"In your own world, are we? I thought I told you I need your full concentration?"

Hermione jumped slightly at the sound of her Potions Master's velvet voice, "Yes, I'm sorry sir."

"And I thought we agreed to drop the formals?" He stared at her with an eyebrow raised.

Hermione smiled, "Yes, we did, Severus. I'm sorry. You startled me."

He walked towards her, "Clearly." He placed several jars and bottles onto the desk in front of her. He arranged them into a row, "The jars closest to you are the ingredients that go into the potion first. If you want to become a Potions Mistress you will need to learn to work in a controlled and organised fashion." He placed both hands onto the wooden table and leaned over it slightly, his voice a silky whisper, "Which means no daydreaming."

"Of course," she answered while standing up straight. "You have my full attention."

"Good." He stepped around the desk and came to rest by her side. He studied the liquid in the cauldron for a second before saying, "Excellent, now, we let that boil until the potion turns violet. Be sure to wait until it has cooled before decanting it into the vials."

She nodded and lowered the pewter spoon she held, placing it beside the cauldron. She increased the heat and watched the potion bubble, the liquid gradually turning darker, from a light pink to a deep burgundy and then lightening to violet. It was a gloriously enchanting sight; muggle science and wondrous magic rolled into one.

She was interested however, as to why they were brewing a Dreamless Sleep Potion. So, naturally, she questioned him, "Severus, can I ask why we are brewing this? I thought we were going to begin preparations for the Imperitaserum today?"

She gazed at him, realizing he was contemplating her question as if he was trying to decide whether to dignify it with an answer. She was relieved when he chose to respond, "I am the Potions Master at this school, therefore one of my duties is to provide Madam Pomfrey with a supply of medicinal potions and calming draughts."

"Oh," she replied softly, "yes of course." She lowered her eyes back to the effervescent cauldron.

Snape smirked, "This is not for Poppy, Hermione." He saw her head snap up again. "This...this is for my own personal use."

Her eyes widened. She knew why he would need such a potion, but the admission stunned her. Which had been happening a lot recently, she noticed. He had been expressing his thoughts and feelings a lot more, especially to her. She didn't understand why, not fully, but she didn't want to dwell on the matter. She knew that if she did, it would never leave her mind. But, she was happy that he was showing that even he was human, that the terrors he had to face affected him more than he let his external façade reveal, be that in Order meetings or in school.

"But, never mind that. Collect me some more vials from the storeroom." He lowered the temperature of the heat source while Hermione stepped away and obeyed his command.

She searched the shelves and spotted the empty vials on the second highest one. She climbed the ladder and grabbed several of the small glass bottles. She then carefully stepped down until her feet touched the floor.

Suddenly, she heard piercing psychotic cackling heading towards the classroom. She braced herself for the lunatic ghost and seconds later he burst through the wall, laughing and screeching like usual.

"_Snivelly and the bookworm cooped up in class,_

_While a snake and a lion fight on the grass,_

_Snivelly's student and the bookworm's friend,_

_Who's going to bring this war to an end?_"

Peeves cackled again and flew through the door.

Snape and Hermione exchanged looks of horror before Snape removed the cauldron from its heat source and they both bolted from the room.

They followed the ghost's wails until they heard him sing about the fight happening in the Transfiguration Courtyard. They ran in that direction, robes billowing behind them in the breeze caused by the sheer speed of their movement.

When they reached the Courtyard, they saw Draco and Harry shooting insults at each other, with Ron and Draco's friends, Crabbe and Goyle, joining in.

Hermione glanced at Snape, whose expression was turning darker and darker with each passing second. As soon as the first hex was fired, they both whipped out their wands and, simultaneously, shouted, "_Expelliarmus_!"

Jets of scarlet light spurted through the air and struck Harry and Draco's wands, throwing them away from the hands of their owners. They stared in the direction of the disarming spell, coming eye to eye with a fuming Hermione Granger and a positively irate Severus Snape.

All of the boys looked immediately regretful.

Snape marched over to them and screamed that they all go to his office. When Harry and Ron looked at her, Hermione gave them a disapproving look and followed all six men back to the Dungeons.

She surveyed the scene before her. Snape stormed through the corridors with a face reddened due to fury, Harry and Ron looked like they were marching to their deaths and Draco and his minions looked like they had won the lottery. There was no doubt in her mind that they thought that they could blame everything on her friends and that Snape would believe them.

She on the other hand wasn't so sure. She had seen Snape furious plenty of times in the past, most of that rightly caused by Harry, Ron and indeed, herself. During those times they had all been punished quite severely, but she couldn't recall a time where Snape looked as mad as he did then.

She couldn't recall a time where Snape had actually seen Harry and Draco fire hexes at each other, other than at the duelling club in their second year.

They descended the spiral staircase, following the route that she was becoming so accustomed to. Snape slammed open the door to his class, mimicking the same gesture on the door to his office, producing a horrible crashing sound to reverberate off of the stone walls. She cringed at the noise and then flinched at the tone of her teacher's voice.

"Attend to the potion, Hermione. It should be sufficiently cooled by now. Decant it into the vials and label them, I will deal with these... children and then I will give you further instructions as to what to complete next."

The boys exchanged perplexed looks when they heard Professor Snape address her by her first name, but then turned their attentions back to the livid man who yelled for them to enter the office.

They all did as they were told.

Hermione lined up the glass bottles in front of the pewter cauldron and poured the prepared liquid into each one, leaving enough space to fit the stopper into the vial without spilling any from the container. She saw Leaena fly in through the window close to the ceiling and land on her perch beside the desk. She smiled at the bird, which in turn cocked its head to the side and cooed cheerfully at the sight of the girl.

She listened carefully to the sounds emanating from behind the large wooden door to the office, but all she heard was muffled roaring. Yet, it was recognizable; the somewhat hushed voice belonged to her surly Potions Master.

Even though she knew the situation was quite serious, she couldn't stop the small giggle from leaving her lips. There was something hilarious about hearing his ferocious temper being directed at his own students.

"Malfoy... you... better... fifty points... Slytherin... Gryffindor..." Those were the only words she could make out.

_Well, at least he has taken points from his own house too this time_, she thought. _But that is another fifty points taken from Gryffindor. If this keeps going, we're going to have zero points by the end of the year._

She reached over and grabbed a quill from an ink pot sitting on the small shelf attached to Snape's desk. She quickly wrote "Dreamless Sleep" on five small pieces of parchment and attached them to the potion vials. Once she had finished, she patiently waited for Snape and the five idiot boys to leave the adjacent room.

She didn't have to wait long. Snape opened the door a few minutes later and the boys promptly left the room. However, they were present to hear Snape say, "Excellent work, Hermione. My fears may not be realised after all. Seventy five points to Gryffindor."

Harry and Ron were astonished, yet that didn't stop a huge grin from appearing on both of their faces. Draco was clearly disgusted. He glared at the girl before swiftly leaving the room in a huff.

Hermione beamed. She had just been awarded the points just taken from her house and twenty five more, while Slytherin were missing fifty.

She liked this Professor Snape, she liked him a lot.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

The short, stumpy man gazed out of the window restlessly, searching for the servant his Master had called only a few minutes previous. His Master was displeased, very displeased, and wanted answers.

His searched the skies, looking for the black smoke that indicated the apparition of a follower to the Dark Lord; a Death Eater.

He spotted the thick line of smoke flying horizontally through the air and land vertically a few feet away from the building, transforming into the awaited man; the platinum blond pureblood, Lucius Malfoy.

Lucius walked slowly up to the entrance of the building, with his elaborately designed cane in hand, and enter. His expensive overcoat wafted in little waves behind him as he stepped into the room that contained his Master.

The stumpy man stared at the blond, watching him kneel before the snake-like, skeletal being sitting in the armchair at the front of the room.

"My Lord," Lucius whispered, "how can I be of service?"

"I want to know if you have spoken with Severus," Voldemort hissed. "Have you obtained any information regarding our friend's loyalties?"

"I have, my Lord," Lucius glanced upward and into his Master's evil red eyes. "Severus, for all intents and purposes, appears to be on our side. He is preparing the potion as we speak. However, he has asked me to give a message, my Lord. He has asked me to ask you for more time in brewing it."

Voldemort snarled, "Oh and why is this? Why does he need more time?"

Lucius dropped his gaze, "My Lord, Severus tells me the potion needs more than a week to brew if it is to be successful. It would be impossible to create in one week. This potion involves Veritaserum, which needs to mature for a full lunar cycle."

"Twenty eight days is far too long, Lucius. Our enemies could strike us in that time, rather than our decimation of them." Lord Voldemort was angry, his voice laced with venom. However, he also sounded understanding, as far as Lucius could tell.

"I am aware," the blond responded. "Severus is expertly gifted with potion-making my Lord; however, if the potion is to succeed, Severus needs the correct time to create it."

Voldemort listened to his follower's argument and realized that he was right, "Very well, tell Severus he has twenty eight days to brew the potion." Lucius bowed his head and moved to leave, but his Master called him back, "Lucius... tell him that if it has been successfully brewed within that time, he is to report to me immediately."

He bowed again, "Of course, my Lord, as you wish."

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Several hours had passed since she and Snape had been so rudely interrupted from their potion-making. After the spat between Harry and Draco and after the boys had left the room, Snape returned to his desk, picking up the bottles of Dreamless Sleep potion Hermione had made and moved them to his private stores. She watched him; his aura had morphed from pleasant and accommodating to frustrated and misanthropic, and even though he had awarded points to her for her work, she was afraid that is she said the wrong thing he would promptly take them away again.

So she calmly and quietly stood in front of his cauldron, stroking Leaena with the backs of her fingers like she had a few nights before.

The owl welcomed the attention, making a constant sound that was a cross between a hoot and a purr. However, she soon became agitated. She flailed her wings rapidly; causing Hermione to jump back slightly in a fright and frantically call for Snape.

"Severus! Severus! Leaena is panicking!" she screamed. She was nervous; she didn't know if the owl behaved like this occasionally or if something was scaring it.

He jogged back into the room, taking notice of his pet. He walked over slowly with a raised his right hand. This caused the owl to calm down considerably but she was still distressed. Snape ran his fingers over the Leaena's head and down her back twice, the bird instantly relaxed.

"Wow," Hermione murmured. "What was wrong with her?"

He answered without taking his eyes off of the creature in front of him, "I have no idea. She has never behaved like that before. She normally does not frighten easily, she is amazingly courageous."

The owl then rotated its head and opened its beak. She clamped it around one feather on her body and yanked her head forward, pulling it out.

This startled them both, "Leaena, stop this!" Snape scolded.

She did not pay attention to him; however, she did not rip out any more feathers. She merely jumped from her perch and dropped the feather she held in her beak in front of Hermione.

Hermione looked on in wonder. It was then she saw the flash of realisation pass over Snape's face, "What? What is it? What is she doing?"

He did not answer right away. Instead he reached for his ink pot and quill.

He removed the quill, inspecting it with great fascination. He then looked at her with a knowing but unnerved smirk, "I remember now. This quill, it is one of Leaena's feathers. When I first purchased her, she was obviously a little nervous. However, after a few days she had bonded with me. She started behaving in a peculiar manner, so I asked Professor Dumbledore if Fawkes had acted in the same way." Snape placed the quill back in the ink pot, "He said that Fawkes did not rip his feathers out, but a powerful bond had developed between the two of them. He said Leaena was doing the same thing for me, except she was gifting me with one of her feathers as proof."

Hermione gasped softly and looked at the feather lying on the desk before her. Leaena hooted merrily.

"I didn't think anything of it. I placed the feather in my desk drawer. When Leaena realised this, she threw a fit. She didn't listen to me...or take any of the envelopes I asked her to send. That was, until I started to use the feather as a quill." Snape gazed at his pet, "That was when I realized just how powerful the bond was. Leaena is to me what Fawkes is to Dumbledore... and what Nagini is to the Dark Lord. And it now appears as though Leaena is giving you her loyalty as well."

Hermione's head snapped to the side, her stare directed at the bird. Leaena hooted happily but would not move from her position. It was then the owl nudged the feather forward, urging Hermione to take it.

She did. Hermione lifted the feather and tucked it carefully into her book bag, "I'll keep this safe, Leaena. You can trust me."

The bird took to the air and gave a loud hoot. She then flew out of the window and out to circle the Black Lake.

"She has never done that with anyone but me." Snape added a few minutes later. "Given a feather, I mean." He sounded utterly perplexed; yet, his tone carried a hint of awe.

"Do you find that upsetting?" she asked.

He remained silent for a couple of seconds and then smiled. "No," he said, "I don't. I find it rather amusing actually."

Hermione grinned.

"We should be getting back to the Imperitaserum. That is, unless you want to stop for the night and return to your dormitories?"

She shook her head, "No, I'm fine. We can continue."

He nodded his approval and lifted his wand. He uttered, "_Scourgify_." His cauldron was impeccably cleaned moments later. He collected the ingredients for Veritaserum and handed some jars to Hermione, "Add them when I say so," he told her, his voice deep and authoritarian.

She knew that Veritaserum could be considered as Severus Snape's "speciality" potion and thus did not want to make any mistakes. She would hang on every word he said.

They hadn't gotten too far into the potion preparations when Snape spotted two flashes from the corner of his eye. He turned his head to inspect what he had seen and found Leaena sitting back on her perch, along with another visitor.

It was Lucius Malfoy's handsome, regal eagle owl, Enoch.

"Excuse me," he said to Hermione and moved forward to greet the bird. "Hmm, to what do I owe the pleasure?" The male owl dropped an envelope into Snape's hands and gave a short, sharp hoot.

He opened it while watching the two owls begin to nip and play with each other. He read the letter and relief flooded his system.

_Severus,_

_The Dark Lord has granted your request for more time to produce the Imperitaserum._

_He is still anxious about the length of time it will take, so I think it best you try to brew it as quick as you can._

_Take care, my friend._

_Lucius_

He turned his gaze to Hermione who looked at him in question. At least he would have the time to research a recipe for this experimental potion while brewing the Veritaserum base at the same time.

He now fully understood why Dumbledore had reminded him that he would require assistance.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

**A/N 2:** Just a quick note to let people know the meaning of the names of the two owls in my story and how I invented the name for the potion Sev and Hermione have to make.

Leaena (Severus' owl) means lioness in Latin.

Enoch (Lucius' owl) means devoted or dedicated in Hebrew and English.

Imperitaserum is obviously a combination of Imperius and Veritaserum.

Like it? Hate it? Please leave a review! =) Feel free to tell me if I have any information wrong, or if some things are bothering you. Constructive criticism is welcomed as long as you are not rude. I'll be sure to correct any mistakes in the following chapters.

Thank you for continuing to read! I would love to reach 50 reviews before I post chapter 6, *wink*


	6. Chapter 6

**A Sense of Obsession**

**Disclaimer: **All these fabulous characters belong to J.K Rowling. I do not own them in any way nor am I making any money from them.

**Summary: **Is In the previous chapters.

**A/N:** Thanks for getting me to 51 reviews for 5 chapters =)

Honestly, thank you for all of the lovely reviews. It is a wonderful feeling when you know how much people are enjoying your story.

Oh and just a reminder, because this story disregards the events of HBP and DH, the characters may act a little OoC. However, I will try to portray them as close to character as possible for my plotline. I am also taking the appearances and some behaviour from what they look like and act like in the movies; such as Lucius' cane and _long_ blond hair.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy chapter 6! =D

* * *

**Chapter 6**

There was an eerie atmosphere around the house, like all life, barring the souls that sat around the drawing room table, had just disappeared. The air was still, nothing moved; the fountain that lay in the middle of the grand garden at the front of the Manor was not spurting water and the elegant white peacocks that usually roamed the lawns were nowhere to be seen.

This was most unusual for the home of Lucius Malfoy and his family.

But, everything was changing. The War was near; Lord Voldemort was planning the last details of his attack and was now using his home as a Headquarters.

It disturbed him, but it was his Master's wishes... and he would not disobey his Master.

So he, along with his wife Narcissa and sister-in-law Bellatrix Lestrange sat in the three chairs around the head of the table, discussing his son Draco and the letter Enoch had delivered thirty minutes ago.

The letter had disturbed his beautiful wife and she screeched that he read the note at once. Narcissa's worry didn't go unnoticed by her sister either, who demanded to read it as well.

As his grey eyes travelled over the dark, Slytherin-green ink, his expression grew dark.

_Father,_

_I am writing to ask if you could talk to Professor Snape. He hasn't been acting like his usual self recently._

_You see, Professor Snape has taken on an assistant although I do not know the reason why. He is giving extra lessons, and she seems to be with him all the time._

_I know you will tell me that his teaching is none of my business, and I know you are right, Father. In any other case, I wouldn't care... but it's the student that he has chosen that is concerning me._

_It is Potter's friend... the Mudblood girl._

_Also, lately he seems to be punishing me. He has taken points from Slytherin! He has taken points from me._

_I admit that there had been a...altercation between me and Potter, but it was Potter who attacked me first. I was merely defending myself._

_Professor Snape then rushed in, along with the Granger girl, disarmed us and marched us to his office. He took 50 points from Slytherin, Father!_

_I am nervous to speak with him, in fear that he may react in the wrong way. May I ask if you could speak with him?_

_Your son,_

_Draco_

Lucius stared at his boy's words. Bellatrix snatched the parchment from his fingers and trailed her gaze over it. She snarled.

"I knew he couldn't be trusted!" she hissed throatily.

"Now, now Bella... calm down. I'm sure there is a perfectly good explanation for this." Lucius responded.

"Good explanation? Punishing your son for defending himself against Potter? I think not."

The blonde woman strode over to her enraged sister, "Bella, Severus is our friend," Narcissa told her.

Bellatrix's scowl worsened, "I don't trust him, Cissy. How dare he punish your child for self-defence! He is not on our side, I know it!"

Lucius sneered, "I will talk to him, Bellatrix. I want to know the reason why just as much as you do. The reason as to why he is training Miss Granger should be highly interesting to hear as well."

Bellatrix grimaced as if Lucius had said the most disgusting thing he could think of. She nodded, however, giving him her approval.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

It had been just under a week since preparations of the Imperitaserum had begun. It was a Friday afternoon; the breeze was cool and crisp and the temperatures were beginning to drop as the days were creeping into winter.

The entire school was gathered at the Quidditch pitch. Teachers and students rushed to find a suitable seat, all eagerly awaited the match between Slytherin and Gryffindor to begin. The matches between these two houses were always the best—more exciting to watch.

Severus Snape sat with all of the other Hogwarts teachers. He was dressed in his typical attire, with the addition of a thick woollen coat and a black scarf. He glanced at the Gryffindor stands, spotting his apprentice sitting beside Neville Longbottom. They were chatting and their eyes searched for Harry, Ron and his sister Ginny when the players flew around the pitch.

He sighed. He hoped that she wouldn't get her hopes up, even if three of her friends were pivotal players on the Gryffindor team. Slytherin were going to win the match, he was sure of it.

The game started and the blur of brooms passed his eyes. In a flurry of green, silver, red and yellow, his house team were weaving around the Gryffindor players with ease. Slytherin had been practising and their skills had vastly improved since their last game. Soon, the satisfying sound of the game commentator yelling, "Goal for Slytherin!" graced his ears and he smiled smugly.

This continued for many minutes, Slytherin were leading fifty points to thirty. That was until Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy flew by. Draco didn't look as to where he was flying and the tip of his broom collided with a horizontal wooden pillar. He was thrown from the broom, soaring through the air before landing on the grass below, panting for the breath that had been knocked from him.

Snape shook his head in disbelief and disappointment. It didn't look like Slytherin were going to win the game now that their seeker was injured.

And that was confirmed when he heard, "Harry Potter has caught the golden Snitch! Gryffindor win!"

He growled.

He looked over and caught sight of Hermione grinning and cheering.

He growled again. He stood and began to make his way back to the Castle. He strolled along the grit paths and over the sheltered bridge that lead to the Castle entrance.

On the way back to his chambers, he found his mind occupied by thoughts of her.

His apprentice, his aide, his... he didn't know what.

Was she merely a student helping her teacher with a difficult and most dangerous experimental potion? Was she a girl who had been trapped into a situation because of her intelligence in the subject? Or, was she a woman who could lower his inhibitions, break down the walls he surrounded himself with brick by brick, revealing the true man within, allowing her to become his... friend?

He shook his head vigorously, flinging the thoughts from his mind. He couldn't afford a friend, not now. It was too dangerous.

Not just for the friend, his being a pseudo Death Eater did bring ramifications to friendships, but... the danger he felt was for himself.

He couldn't let anyone in; he didn't know how to handle people, or emotion, they were foreign to him. He was scared. He could be hurt. He didn't trust anyone. How could he? The abuse from his father and the bullying he received during his school years at the hands of James Potter and his little followers had scarred him to his core. So, he built walls around himself, walls as high as the sky to keep people away.

But this girl, this girl was gradually destroying them with her kindness, her compassion, her worry for him... with the way she said his name.

_This is ridiculous! _His mind screamed at him. _This is Hermione Granger! The insufferable know-it-all student of mine who infuriates me with her constant hand waving in class, who had an incessant need to whisper instructions to Longbottom. She is Potter's friend, a Gryffindor, a—_

—_You are trying so desperately to convince yourself that you don't like her, when it is so obvious that you do. _His inner voice taunted. _She has qualities you value highly: she is not a dunderhead and is very intelligent for her age, just like you were. She is gifted in Potions, just like you are... and she is fiery and tenacious. Come on Severus... admit it. You want to build a friendship with her._

He threw open the doors to the Castle and stormed through the corridors until he reached his rooms. He grabbed a textbook based on Dark potions from one of his shelves and flung himself into one of his arm chairs.

However, his desire for peace and quiet didn't last long.

He heard three sharp knocks upon his door. His frustration grew and he angrily stormed over to the door and threw it open.

"What is it?" he snarled at the awaiting person. He was taken aback when he saw the object of his musings standing before him.

She was a little stunned at his outburst. "I thought, I thought we were going to continue with the potion today? You know, after the...after the Quidditch match?" She sounded nervous. Damn his temper.

"Of course," He stepped back, allowing her access into the room. He closed the door behind her and significantly calmed his tone down to as friendly a pitch as he could manage. "We need to figure out a way to combine the Imperius Curse with the Veritaserum for when the latter has matured." He waved his hand, "Follow me, we'll be more comfortable if we sit."

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Night had fallen. The sky sparkled with twinkling stars as Albus Dumbledore watched from the window of his office. His mind, occupied with the thoughts of Lord Voldemort, Harry Potter and the job he had asked Severus Snape to complete, was racing.

Surprisingly, he found that on this night, Lord Voldemort and Harry Potter were not as much of a worry as usual. It was Snape...and the girl who had become his assistant.

He remembered back to when he had first hired the dark-haired Potions Master. He was still a boy in his eyes and hadn't been a graduate of the school for very long. At twenty one, Severus Snape was the youngest Professor ever at Hogwarts. He had found it awkward at first; teaching students that were only three to four years younger than him was strange for both the pupils and the Professor. But, Dumbledore was confident in his ability, and soon enough, he found that Snape had discovered a method of teaching that seemed to work for him.

The other Professors were initially concerned about having a Death Eater on the pay roll. However, Dumbledore assured them he had defected, that Snape was on the side of light now, rather than dark. They had their suspicions and their own opinions; nevertheless, they trusted their Headmaster. Snape had become a spy on his instructions, relaying information about Lord Voldemort to him whenever needed, or discovered. He was excellent at leading the double agent life, his skills as an Occlumens proved to be most useful.

Hermione Granger on the other hand... now she was a bright young witch who had the capabilities to go far. With as big of an interest in Potions as Snape had had when he was a student, studying under the tutelage of Snape himself would ensure that she would become a Potions Mistress after graduating Hogwarts.

However, Dumbledore knew that this would cause some problems as well as opportunities.

As a spy, Snape risked his life whenever he attended the meetings Lord Voldemort called him to and whenever Voldemort instructed him to carry out a specific task. Failure to complete these would result in torture and/or death.

Adding Hermione into mix caused the situation to become unpredictably volatile.

If Lord Voldemort found out that Snape had chosen Hermione as his apprentice, and Snape failed or didn't complete a task to Voldemort's satisfaction... Voldemort wouldn't kill him immediately. He would torture him first; make him feel worthless and impotent by tormenting the girl... kill him with guilt.

But, if Hermione was not in the picture, Snape would fail his task and be killed anyway.

"_I can take care of myself," he remembered Snape telling him. "I know what I am doing."_

"_You are a brave man, Severus," he responded. "However, you do not need to feel ashamed to admit you need assistance."_

"_I have been tortured and maimed and threatened before," the dark man said. "I have the scars to prove it. If I attempt this task and fail, then the punishment lies with me. I will not place someone else in danger."_

"_You cannot deny that you need help for much longer, Severus. When it comes to the time where you admit it, we will figure out a way to keep both you and whomever you choose as your assistant safe."_

The difficulty was actually coming up with a plan to do so. He knew what task Hermione would have to complete to make the potion a success. Hermione was now an integral part of the "undercover" plot. How could he keep both his agent and his young student safe from Voldemort's clutches if they were to be discovered?

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Many ideas were discussed in the hours that they sat in the living area to his quarters. There were so many in fact... that they had forgotten that time existed. Snape had called one of the house-elves and had ordered that food be brought to them when they had begun to get hungry, and Hermione had already told him she had already completed all of her other homework other than the essay he had set about the Draught of Living Death. He told her not to worry, that what they were doing at that moment was much more important than writing an essay on something she already knew.

It was after midnight, but Snape quickly slipped over to his personal library to obtain several more books centred on Dark potions, intending to show them to his companion and discuss other possibilities. However, that plan soon became moot. He stepped back into his living area to see his young acquaintance lying on the sofa, fast asleep.

He sighed softly and quietly walked over to the couch where she lay. He realized he couldn't bear to wake her, noticing that she looked as exhausted as he felt. He removed his arms from the sleeves of his cloak and covered her with it, making sure that she would be warm. He then entered his bedroom, coming to the conclusion that it may be best to get a few hours rest himself.

When he awakened, he felt as if he had only just placed his head on his pillow to sleep. But, no, he glanced at his clock and saw that it was seven am. He had been asleep for six hours.

He left the bed and dressed in his typical teaching attire; white shirt, black trousers, black overcoat and black boots. His cloak was still wrapped around the sleeping Gryffindor on his leather sofa. He peered around his bedroom door and noticed that she was still there, still sleeping soundly.

He knew he should wake her. Her housemates were bound to have noticed that she had been missing the entire night, and he knew Potter and Weasley would know where she was. He didn't need them to begin spreading rumours, or telling Minerva tales that were entirely untrue.

He walked towards her and kneeled beside the couch. He shook her gently, "Time to wake, Hermione. You need to get up."

She moaned her displeasure before her eyes flickered open. They adjusted to the lighting before they focused on him, "Severus?" she murmured sleepily.

"Yes," he replied. "You fell asleep here. You really should be getting back to Gryffindor tower before people start talking... wondering where you are."

She sat up quickly, as if suddenly realizing what room she was in. "I fell asleep? Oh gosh, Severus, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"Hush, girl," he snipped. "Do not worry; just make you way back to the tower." He moved away from the sofa, allowing her to get up.

She clutched his cloak before recognizing that it had been her "blanket" for the night. She shyly passed it to him and he took it from her with a sly smirk.

She smoothed her clothing and grabbed her book bag, before bidding him goodbye and leaving the room.

She rushed back to the Gryffindor common room. She was dreading the questions that were bound to be directed at her. She arrived at the seventh floor and ran to the portrait of the Fat Lady. She spoke the password and stepped through. It wasn't long before she was met with inquiring looks.

And those looks were primarily from three people: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and his sister, Ginny Weasley.

She smiled at them and knew from their glares that she wasn't going to get away that easily.

"Where were you last night?" asked Ginny. "I didn't see you in the dormitory at all."

"Yeah, after the match... you said you were going to talk to Snape, and then we didn't see you for the rest of the night. Were you with him all that time?" Ron added suspiciously.

"Umm..." Hermione didn't know how to answer without invoking their fury. "Yes, I was."

"Why?" wondered Harry. "What did he want with you?"

"We ended up talking about my... assignments for his extra lessons for hours. I didn't notice the time and I fell asleep. I didn't mean to and he didn't wake me, so—"

"—He didn't wake you?" Harry interrupted, hardly believing his ears. "I would have thought that would have been the first thing he done if he found you asleep in his office."

Ginny nodded her agreements, and Ron just looked shell-shocked.

"Well, he didn't. Now, if you excuse me I'm going up to the dormitory."

Hermione quickly made her escape. Harry, Ron and Ginny just exchanged bewildered looks. Away from the boy's gaze, Ginny smirked. She would question Hermione later, girl to girl. She would get answers. That she knew.

All four of them soon made their way down to breakfast. They sat at their designated table and began to fill their plates. Ginny noticed that Hermione was frequently gazing that the Head table... in the direction of the bat of the dungeons. An eyebrow rose. What was her fascination with him all of a sudden?

Mail time soon arrived and owls fluttered around the room. Envelopes and packages were dropped and newspapers and sweets were passed around. Hermione noticed Leaena and the eagle owl that she had seen in Snape's classroom almost a week ago land in front of the black haired man; a envelope tumbling from the beak of the eagle owl.

She watched him as he read the letter and then look directly into her eyes before standing up brusquely and leaving the Hall, his hair twirling at the speed of his movement.

She wondered what could possibly be wrong. But, she knew that whatever was written in that note was not a good thing.

**

* * *

**

A/N 2:

Like it? Hate it? Maybe we can hit 60 reviews for 6 chapters? =D It would be so nice if that did happen. I do appreciate the feedback, for all the reasons mentioned in my notes at the beginning of the chapter. Constructive criticism is welcomed, just please keep it polite.

Thank you for continuing to read this story!


	7. Chapter 7

**A Sense of Obsession**

**Disclaimer: **All these fabulous characters belong to J.K Rowling. I do not own them in any way nor am I making any money from them.

**Summary: **Is In the previous chapters.

**A/N:** Wow! Thank you for all the wonderful reviews for that last chapter ^_^ Much appreciated and I hope you enjoy this next part in the story.

This chapter deals with some elements from the 6th book. Some that I felt I had to use even though I'm disregarding the events of the final 2 books. The elements I'm using are the "Half-blood Prince" title that Severus gave himself... and his extensive knowledge of Potions even as a teenager.

However, please note, this story does disregard the **events** of HBP and DH.

I also made up the name of the textbook seen in this chapter so the disclaimer still stands true =)

Be sure to read the **A/N** at the end for a little bit of info regarding the next update after this.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

The Hall fell silent when they heard the sudden, deafening scrape of a wooden chair across the stone floor. They all snapped their heads up to gaze in the direction of the sound and were met by the sight of their Potions Master rushing from the room with a speed they had never seen him reach before. They all noticed that even their great Headmaster was stunned by this outburst and was staring at his young protégé. His hair wisped around his face as he hurried along and slammed his palms against the Hall's grand doors, effectively opening them with the vicious thud.

Severus Snape was on a rampage... and they were all praying for whoever was going to be at the wrong end of his temper.

Hermione just let her eyes follow her mentor. It was a Saturday morning and with no classes to attend, she knew he could leave the grounds to accomplish what business that note involved. She feared for him though, for she didn't know what the note was about. It had been delivered by the eagle owl that had appeared in his office once before, so she recognized that he did know who the sender was... and was obviously less than thrilled to hear from them on this occasion.

Maybe, later when she was due back at his quarters, she could ask him about it. Maybe, if he was calm enough, he would answer her. She didn't quite know whether he was comfortable with her presence yet, so she certainly wasn't sure if he would allow her to become his confidant.

She turned her attentions back to her breakfast. All she could do now was wait.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Snape stormed through the hallways, blowing out some candles that lit the corridors with his movements. He descended the stairwells, solely focused on getting to his chambers and his Floo network. He clutched the letter in his right fist, crumpling the paper beneath his fingers. He was enraged. The words of the note flowed freely through his head, repeating over and over in the voice of the sender.

_Severus,_

_We need to chat, my friend. We need to have a long talk._

_It has come to my attention that Potter is bothering my son, yet again. And, so my source tells me, you are not doing much about it other than taking away house points. Now, you were once an unscrupulous Professor at that school, the only one I fully trust (ed) with teaching my boy, one who punished students ruthlessly for idiotic behaviour. Now, you only take away measly house points?_

_Severus, please tell me you haven't gone soft._

_Severus Snape is a name that used to strike fear into the hearts of students at that school. What will they think now that you have let Potter get away with such disgusting behaviour?_

_Meet me at the Manor today. I don't care what time, just get here. I want to talk more about this and another little... topic that I found most interesting to hear about._

_Your friend,_

_Lucius_

He entered his rooms and made his way straight to the fireplace. After taking a fistful of Floo powder he spoke the words, "Malfoy Manor" and in a blaze of green flames, disappeared.

Seconds later, crackles of his arrival alerted the occupants of the fabulously ornate mansion. Green flames burst forth in a brilliant explosion and he stepped out into the living area of his friend's home.

He was met by three gazes. One from the man he was here to speak with, one from the man's wife and one from the man's sister-in-law.

Snape groaned inaudibly. That was all he needed. He could handle discussing Draco with the boy's parents, but not with his deranged aunt as well.

However, it looked like he was going to have to cope with her as she showed no signs of leaving.

He caught Bellatrix's glare and matched it with one of his own. She seemed to shrink a little under his gaze, but continued to appear threatening.

"You wished to speak with me, Lucius?" he said, breaking the deafening silence that had surrounded them.

"Yes, Severus, I did. Narcissa, Bellatrix, if you please?" Lucius swung his hand out in a gesture that politely asked the women to leave the room. Narcissa nodded wordlessly and obeyed her husband, Bellatrix however, hissed before leaving with her sister.

When the women were out of range, Lucius motioned for Snape to sit. He did and said, "So, about the contents of your letter, Lucius?"

Lucius glanced at him, "Ah, yes." He took a seat in the arm chair next to the fireplace and continued, "Draco has told me that he was met with a bit of bother from Potter again, is that true?"

"Yes," Snape drawled, "I found Draco and Potter about to hex one another, and... as much I dislike Potter, Lucius, I couldn't very well allow them to duel in the middle of the school grounds with everyone watching."

Lucius hummed, "I understand. But I hear that Potter's punishment was not nearly as harsh as I would have thought it would be, Severus." He clasped his hands and laid them on his chest, sitting back to a more comfortable position in the chair.

Snape sighed angrily, "I didn't see who started the fight, Lucius, and as much as I would have liked to punish Potter more severely than I did, I couldn't. I would be skinned alive by Minerva McGonagall if I put Potter through a punishment and not have Draco complete the same task. For they were both at fault, they both would have fired hexes if I didn't disarm them."

Lucius raised an eyebrow, "I hear it wasn't just you who disarmed them, Severus. I hear the Mudblood—"

"—Do not use that word!" Snape interrupted, his voice laced with venom that shocked Lucius at first before he quickly recovered. He snarled, "Do not use that word in front of me."

Lucius remained quiet for a few seconds before resuming his sentence, "Okay... I hear that the Muggle-born girl, Miss Granger, helped you disarm them. She disarmed Potter, while you disarmed my son."

"Yes, however, is that relevant?" Snape asked. He was confused as to where the conversation was heading.

"It is... Draco tells me you are spending a fair bit of time with the girl, Severus. That she is your... assistant."

This caught Snape off guard and Lucius gazed at his friend suspiciously. "She is my assistant; I told you I have been forced to take an apprentice, Lucius. She is the student."

"Ah, I see." Lucius tilted his head back in acknowledgement. "Does that entail helping you with your supervisory duties?"

Snape growled, "She merely disarmed Potter, Lucius. She didn't touch your son. She helped him in fact, as Potter was seconds away from hitting him with a pretty nasty curse." He flicked a strand of hair that had fallen into his eyes away with a swish of his head. "Not that it is any of your business, but all she does is help me to brew potions for the Hospital Wing."

"Mmm, well don't let her get too close now, Severus. You don't want her to find out what you are brewing away from classes now, do you?" The blond man smirked mischievously. "After all, we can't risk her knowing about the Imperitaserum and running off to tell Potter and... Dumbledore."

Snape instantly erected an Occlumens shield around himself as a precaution. This conversation was becoming dangerous, "Of course not," Snape scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. She will not find out."

Lucius gave another smirk and nodded, "I trust that you have not gone soft after all these years, Severus. I would like to see you as the ruthless Professor you once were. Not this... careful rule-follower I see before me at this moment."

Snape stood, "Trust me." He stepped forward and grabbed a handful of Floo powder once more. "I have not changed, nor have I renounced the old ways. I am as I always have been. Now, I really should be getting back before Dumbledore pays a visit to question my hasty exit this morning."

Lucius tilted his head forward, "Very well. I trust you will take care of my boy after this little chat. We'll speak again soon, I'm sure."

Snape stepped into the fireplace and threw the powder down beside his ankles and with a flash of green he was gone.

Bellatrix flew through the doorway when she heard the flames burn and crackle, "Well?" she sneered. "What did he say?"

Narcissa soon strolled through the door, a look of concern flashing through her eyes as she sat in the seat Snape had been a resident in only seconds before.

"He did what he had to do in the circumstances," Lucius told them. "And he has taken on an apprentice in the Mudblood. However, that wasn't of his choice, or so he has told me. He is on our side, Bella... and no matter how much you wish to deny that, you have to accept it. It seems as if you are the only person to doubt his loyalties."

She gave a high pitched snarl, "The Dark Lord does not trust him!"

"He does," Lucius told her. "I spoke with him about this situation days ago. He appears to trust Severus, as does everyone but you."

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Harry and Ron, along with Hermione though she seemed very disinterested, were headed along to the Quidditch Pitch. Harry had decided that after their last game, his team needed a fair bit more practice. Slytherin had been wiping the floor with them until he had managed to catch the Snitch and even he had struggled to shake off Draco Malfoy before the latter collided into a wooden beam. Ron agreed of course, and being the team's Keeper, he felt dreadful about letting Slytherin score as many points as they did in the game.

Both boys noticed that Hermione looked very distant, almost... nervous, or scared. They didn't understand why. After all, there wasn't much of a chance to be hurt at Quidditch practice unless they fell off of their brooms, which wasn't likely.

She was clutching a textbook to her chest Harry noticed, one that he had never seen before. It was clearly a Potions book, as there was a cauldron filled with a shimmering dark purple liquid depicted in the centre of the front cover. He caught a glimpse of the title and it shocked him.

**_Studying the Dark Arts Volume II – Lotions, Potions, Tonics and Brews_**

As she sat on a bench beside the pitch, ready to act as a referee if Harry asked her too, she opened the book and began to read. Harry peered over her shoulder and spotted something he didn't think he'd see again and something that Hermione did not seem to notice, or if she did notice, she didn't seem to care about.

_This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince_

He remembered he had gotten rid of a copy of _**Advanced Potion-Making** _in his sixth year that had belonged to the same student after, while defending himself against Draco Malfoy and in a rage because of him, using a spell he had encountered within it. It was a dark and horrendous spell, which shocked him to his core when he saw the effects it had caused upon Draco's body.

_Sectumsempra... I thought I had... why has she got... The Half-Blood Prince... who IS the Half-Blood Prince?_

He decided not to call her to be a referee for Quidditch practice seeing as she was engrossed with her new—or rather, old—textbook. So he chose not to bother her, though he knew he would have to question her away from nosy friends.

Practice went without a hitch and Harry felt as though his team had made great progress. They made their way back to Gryffindor tower afterwards, Ron walked ahead with Ginny while Harry pulled Hermione back several steps behind them to talk to her.

"Hermione," he began, "why do you have a book that says 'Property of The Half-Blood Prince'? Weren't you the one that was so against me using their book last year?"

Hermione was visibly stunned by his question, "It says that? God, I didn't notice. Honestly, I really didn't" She flicked open the book and glanced at the handwritten signature. "Oh, so it does." Her voice portrayed her surprise; Harry knew she couldn't fake that. "I honestly didn't see it. Professor Snape gave this to me for research purposes."

Harry's eyes widened, "He gave you a book about Dark Magic... for research?"

She nodded, "Yes."

"The Half-Blood Prince," he said as they continued to walk along the dirt path, "clearly a Potions expert whoever it is and Snape had it to give to you... you don't think he..." Harry trailed off, repulsed at the idea forming in his head.

"That Snape is the Half-Blood Prince?" She laughed, "I don't think so, Harry." Her giggle was a nervous giggle. Quite frankly, her words did not represent her true feelings as to what this conversation was suggesting.

"I have no proof, so I'm not saying anything. But, it is...suspicious, that's all." Harry shook his head and ran a hand over his hair.

Suddenly, a loud and panicked hoot was heard from above the four friends. The black owl that Harry and Ron knew belonged to Snape, and was known to Hermione as Leaena, swooped down, halting its flight directly in front of her and began to flap its wings rapidly and hoot constantly.

"Hermione, why is Snape's owl here?" asked Harry, who was a little worried. "It seems scared, panicking, like it's trying to tell you something." He studied the bird closely, "I know because Hedwig occasionally does that when she's frightened."

Hermione's gaze was concentrated on Leaena who had begun to fly ahead of them for a few metres and then fly back to her.

"I think it wants you to follow it," said Ron. Ginny nodded in agreement.

Hermione was beginning to get agitated with the bird's behaviour so she quickly said goodbye to her friends and ran, following the owl to the dungeons.

She ran through the covered bridge, burst through the entrance to the Castle, allowing Leaena entrance as well and bolted down the steps to the dungeons. Once there, the owl slowed her speed and halted outside the Potions classroom, silently asking for Hermione to open the door. When she did, the owl shrieked and flew in a circle before flying into the office of her Master.

Hermione trailed after her coming to a stop just outside the door, "Professor?" she said cautiously, not knowing who was behind the door and not wanting to risk them hearing her call him by his first name. "Professor Snape? Are you there?"

It was quiet, too quiet, even for this room. There was a peculiar smell, like blood mixed with chemicals. The sharp metallic stench graced her nasal passages and spread through her veins to her brain, triggering such a powerful fear sensation that she found it hard to breath.

But, she was drawn inside. She pushed the office door and, with a loud creak that reverberated off of the cold stone walls, it opened. Slowly, steadily she crept into the room, the vile odour getting stronger and stronger with every step she took. She examined every small detail of the room, trying desperately to recognize if anything was missing or different since the last time she had been in it. Nothing so far. So, her investigation continued.

She walked further into the office. She stared at the owl hovering deadly silent over her Master's desk, over the bubbling cauldron that was sitting on it.

She jogged up to the dark table, gazing at the contents on the cauldron. The liquid was simmering now; clearly a charm had been placed on the heat source to allow a timed temperature control. There was something unusual about it however. There was a sliver of colour in the clear potion. There was a red spiralling stream in the centre. Hermione identified it immediately.

Blood.

Blood had been added to the liquid very recently.

She frantically searched for her mentor. She sensed something had gone wrong with this step. There should not have been such a powerful smell of blood for only a few drops of the fluid had been added to the potion. Where was the stench coming from?

The owl cooed pitifully at the archway of what Hermione knew to be a hidden doorway.

She walked over to it. The door lead to his private chambers. It was charmed to be invisible from the office entrance. She removed the ward, he had easily shown her how to the last time she had been there, and entered the room.

She grimaced, the stench was much stronger.

She crept into the living area and spotted an arm, clad in ripped black material with a thin white strip of fabric adorning the tip of the sleeve, lying motionless on the floor.

She sprinted over to him and fell to her knees, raising his head and placing it lightly on her lap. His right arm was gashed with a three inch long cut that was still bleeding. The sleeve of his left arm was rolled up, showing the clear, jet black Dark Mark that was burned into his skin.

_Oh no!_ Her mind screamed.

She attended to his injured arm, making a tourniquet from a torn section of his cloak. It stemmed the blood flow until she could get him to Madam Pomfrey, or at least wake him up so he could apply a Wound-Healing Potion to the gash.

"Oh, please wake up," she begged. "Please, Severus, wake up."

Leaena flew above them, circling and cooing sadly.

"_Rennervate_," she whispered, pointing her wand at his face.

He stirred, clenching his eyes before opening them. Hermione quickly replaced her wand back within her robes and placed one hand on his cheek and the other on top of his chest, bracing him so he didn't sit up too early before he regained his composure.

His eyes met hers and to her surprise, he didn't look angry with her. He looked relieved.

"Thank the Gods that you are here," he murmured. He slowly sat up, with some help from Hermione. "I sent Leaena to find you before I..." He glanced at the makeshift bandage on his arm and decided to leave it there for now. But, he quickly covered the Dark Mark on his left arm.

Hermione glanced at him when she saw him scurry to cover the 'tattoo', "She found me and she was very panicked when she did so." She frowned. "What happened?"

He stood on shaky legs before he answered. "Peeves is what happened," he growled. "He decided he wanted to bother me, soaring around the room with his insufferable cackling. He picked up a bottle from my storeroom, opened it and threw it over me. I have no idea what it was, but I swallowed some and it also contaminated the Veritaserum base I was working on. Luckily I had made three batches."

"You swallowed some?" she gasped. "What if it was poisonous?"

Snape smirked, "If it was in _my_ storeroom and _poisonous,_ I would be dead, Miss Granger. I surely would not be walking and talking to you." She couldn't help but give a shy smile at his expression. She was getting used to the playful teasing, though it still sent a strange shiver down her spine. "But I will figure out what it is. It will give some sort of symptom very soon."

"You were unconscious, is that not a symptom?" she asked.

"It may be, but there may be other symptoms. They will show themselves within the hour if there are any. In the meantime," He slowly walked out into his office, being followed by his young companion, and picked up a small dagger, "I need some of your blood."

There was a sharp intake of breath, Snape looked at the young woman in front of him and a trademark eyebrow rose, "I did tell you I need a sample of your blood for this potion."

"I know, but I didn't think it would be so soon." She took the knife from him. "Can I ask why I found you in your chambers instead of out here where the incident occurred?" She pricked her finger with the dagger, causing a bright red drop of blood to ooze out of the wound.

His obsidian eyes bore into her honey ones as he grabbed another cauldron full of the developing Veritaserum and placed it on the desk in front of them. "I didn't think Peeves had thrown anything _dangerous_ or troublesome until I began to feel lightheaded. I was looking for a book of mine before I lost consciousness," he responded. He took hold of her hand and moved it over the cauldron. He then took hold of the bleeding finger and pinched it lightly, causing several drops of her blood to fall into liquid.

Her heart stopped, "What book?" she asked innocently, suddenly remembering the book she had in her bag that belonged to the 'Half-Blood Prince'

"**'_Studying the Dark Arts Volume II – Lotions, Potions, Tonics and Brews'_**," he told her while removing the bandage, allowing several drops of his own blood to drip into the cauldron and he then refastened the tourniquet.

She gulped and picked it from her bag, "You allowed me to borrow it when we talked last night, I didn't realize..."

He took it from her. "Next time, let me know when you are going to take books from my _personal_ collection," he scolded.

"Yes, sir."

"Did you read this?" he asked, realizing just what was written within the book.

She replied, "Only some of the pages, not much."

He opened it and instantly found his signature, the fashioned name he had given himself in his school days.

"May I ask... who the Half-Blood Prince is, sir?" She felt like she was a first year again, terrified refer to him as anything but a formal title. She didn't want to push her luck with him seeing as she had taken a book without asking proper permission first.

His eyes closed. "I'm the Half-Blood Prince," he said curtly.

Her eyes widened. "Ah," she muttered. She asked no more questions, but found him answering the ones that floated around in her mind.

"I am a Half-Blood, my father was a muggle. My mother was a Pureblood witch... during my childhood I favoured blood purity, Hermione. I won't lie. I wished I was a Pureblood; after all I was in Slytherin. I am a Slytherin, but I no longer believe in the blood purity status." He took a deep breath and released it, making sure his gaze was locked with hers. "I now believe that Muggle-borns are just as powerful; just as worthy. I cannot stand the term 'Mudblood' but I cannot risk my cover by defending Muggle-borns at the school."

_Is he usually this open with me? Or has whatever potion he swallowed got something to do with this?_

"I am telling you this of my own accord, Hermione... at least I think I am," he uttered. "I don't know why I told you that, to be perfectly honest."

She smiled even though she figured he must have used some sort of Legilimency on her to know the exact questions that were on her mind. "Do you feel as though you can trust me with that information?"

He stalled before he murmured, "Yes."

"Then maybe you just needed to get it off of your chest?" she wondered out loud. "You are a very private man, but having someone to talk to isn't always a bad thing." She took one step closer. "Having a friend isn't a bad thing. And I feel we are getting along much better than we used to since beginning this task. Wouldn't you agree?"

He groaned in apprehension. But, finally he replied, "I would. I certainly find you to be less insufferable than before."

"Hmm, I'll take that as a compliment."

"As well you should," he teased, a smirk playing across his face. He turned his gaze back to the cauldron and noticed the potion had turned a very light shade of pink. "We let this mature now. We have to figure out a way to add the Imperius Curse to the potion... and soon." His left arm flinched. "He is getting very restless."

* * *

**A/N 2:**

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review and tell me what you liked or didn't like, but please be polite. If you have any questions, or do not understand something, please PM me and I'll answer as best as I can.

For example, I may have confused people with the little addition from the Half Blood Prince book. Or, maybe I haven't, but I'd love to hear what you thought of the chapter.

Maybe we can reach 80 to 90 reviews? I would love that because the next update will be slightly delayed due to my end of term exams for university. It would be a nice incentive for me to get an update uploaded for Christmas =D or around that time anyway...from the 22nd of December onwards I should be free to write again.

Oh and please vote on the poll on my profile page. It is a poll to decide a "skeleton" plotline for my next HG/SS fanfiction. I'd love to "hear" your opinions =D

Thanks for continuing to read!


	8. Chapter 8

**A Sense of Obsession**

**Disclaimer: **All these fabulous characters belong to J.K Rowling. I do not own them in any way nor am I making any money from them.

**Summary: **See chapter 1

**A/N:** Yay! I'm back. Exams are finally finished and I can now focus on my writing, at least until my next semester starts, lol. But don't worry, that's not for another month =D

Thank you for all of the reviews. Please continue to review because they give me motivation to continue my writing as I know people are enjoying the story =)

For this chapter, I am making it that Hermione witnessed Sirius' death during OotP.

With that said, I hope you like chapter 8!

* * *

**Chapter 8**

He was getting agitated. Albus Dumbledore paced his office, awaiting the arrival of Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape, as well as Alastor Moody.

Soon enough, the three professors entered the room one after another. Dumbledore greeted them warmly and directed them to three seats opposite his desk. Minerva looked confused as to why they had been summoned by their superior; however, Snape and Moody knew exactly the reason.

"Albus, are you sure it is wise to continue to allow Miss Granger to aid Severus with such a potion?" asked the Defence against the Darks Arts teacher while staring at Snape, who sneered in response.

"I can assure you, Headmaster, that Miss Granger is perfectly safe. She has been of great use to me in the past few weeks and I will require her assistance in the foreseeable future in regards to my assignment." Snape's voice was unusually defensive.

"I have no doubts that she is safe with you, Severus. I trust that you will do everything in your power to keep her from harm," Dumbledore replied.

Minerva was looking restless. "What are you talking about?" she asked, her thick Scottish drawl was laced with worry. "And what potion?"

Snape glanced at the older woman. "I have been ordered to make a very dangerous potion for the Dark Lord. Imperitaserum; it is a combination of the Imperius Curse and Veritaserum. If I succeed in brewing it I will be the first to do so. However, I need Miss Granger's help. It requires two people, a man and a woman..." His voice lowered to barely a whisper, but Minerva heard him.

"Her blood?" Minerva wondered.

"Yes," he answered. "Blood ritual...is involved. The potion needs its creator's blood as an ingredient."

Minerva was gobsmacked. "You realize that only you and Miss Granger would be able to use it."

"I am aware." Snape glanced at the floor before directing his gaze at Dumbledore. "I am sure that is the Dark Lord's plan, Headmaster. To ensure that I do everything he says and to gain access to unknown information about Potter via Miss Granger." He stood sharply. "I think he knew I would choose her. He intends for us to drink the potion."

Minerva squealed in horror, "Albus, you cannot let this continue. If Severus and Miss Granger drink this then there is no telling of what will happen or what will be said!"

Moody spoke before Dumbledore had the chance, "There is no option now, Minerva. The potion must be completed."

"I agree. Severus must complete the potion, or lose his life. We cannot risk him being found out," Dumbledore added.

Minerva was terrified, as were they all.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXx**

A few hours later Severus sat at his office desk, fiddling with a thin black cord that lay on the dark table. He was deep in thought. His mind was racing with: thoughts of what he was going to have to tell Hermione, with things they would need to do in the near future and pleading that her trust in him was strong enough now to do what he was going to ask of her.

Leaena flew into the room and landed on her perch. She hooted happily when she saw her Master and then turned her attentions towards the door when the sound of shuffling alerted her. Her feathers ruffled in defence, ready to protect her Master if need be.

But, she calmed down fast when her wide eyes found Hermione Granger.

The eighteen year old waltzed into the office, clutching a book that Snape had let her borrow a few nights before.

His eyes met hers. Silence filled the room as they communicated with their gazes. Hermione soon sat in the visitor's chair and stroked the bird's feathers, waiting for her mentor, and friend, to start speaking.

It took a few minutes, but he then voiced, "Good evening, Hermione."

"Good evening, Severus." She placed the book in front of him. "Thank you for allowing me to read this, it was fascinating. I see blood ritual was and is common for many Dark potions."

"Yes, it is indeed." He stood and walked over to his bubbling cauldron.

He stared at it. The simmering liquid was a very light pink colour due to the blood that had been added to it. His mind had been occupied for days as to how to combine the Imperius Curse with this base. He had an idea though and maybe, just maybe, he could accomplish it that evening.

"So, may I ask what it is we are completing tonight?" Hermione broke him away from his thoughts.

He glanced at and then back at the potion, taking a hold of the pewter spoon and began to stir the cauldron's contents. "I have an idea. If it works, the potion will change colour. The potion will turn from pink to a very light shade of blue."

He motioned for her to follow him when he strolled out of his office, into his classroom and over to his store cupboard. He climbed the ladder and grabbed a jar, Hermione couldn't quite see what it was but she was soon struggling to catch up with him as he bolted out of the small room and over to the cauldron again.

She just stepped up behind him when she heard his unmistakable voice utter, "_Imperio_." She then detected the sound of something falling into the liquid. She rushed forward hoping to see what exactly he had just added to the liquid, but to her dismay all she saw were little ripples and then a dramatic burst of colour.

Starting from the centre and spreading outwards, the potion transformed from pink to blue. It was mesmerizing. And, Severus Snape had just climbed up another rung of the ladder of her "People I respect" list.

"Wow! You did it!" she squealed while clapping her hands together two times.

He rewarded her with a small smirk. "You doubted me?" he teased.

She looked away shyly. "Well, I have to admit, I didn't know how to combine the Curse with the potion. I didn't think we could, to be perfectly honest." Her head turned back to him.

"I also did not think it would work, to be truthful," he said. "I am quite amazed that it did."

Suddenly, something dawned on her. Something, she realized, she wasn't ready for.

The Imperitaserum was now complete. All that was left was for the potion to mature.

He didn't need her to complete that step. He was perfectly capable of maturing a potion by himself.

Her heart sunk.

She backed away, quietly picking up her bag which she had dropped in his haste. He turned around and spotted her movements, and a strange feeling of panic swooped over him.

"What are you doing?" he asked sharply, watching her from where he stood.

Her reply was short and to the point, which surprised him. "I'm getting ready to leave."

An eyebrow rose. "Why is that?"Her brown eyes looked as if they were full of sadness. Snape had no idea why, her expression was positively excited only a few moments before.

"Well, I... the Imperitaserum is finished now. It only needs to mature. That means you no longer need my help." She placed the strap of her bag onto her left shoulder and gazed into his black eyes. She swore she saw fear, rejection, lying deep within the obsidian depths, but she shook her head. Why would he feel rejected?

"This potion is complete now, yes." Her head dropped. "But..." Hermione's eyes met his. "...you are still my apprentice. I still offered to help you further your studies, didn't I? You can do that by beginning to brew the medicinal potions we originally talked about." His lips curled in a half smile when he saw her face light up in joy.

She dropped her bag onto one of his chairs. "Of course, which one shall I begin?"

"Collect the ingredients for Pepperup Potion from my stores. Please, brew it in the classroom and not in my office. Though I know of your capabilities, if something goes wrong, I'd rather the explosion take place in the class than in here."

She grinned. Severus Snape, bat of the dungeons and overall mean wizard, just complimented her. Things were surely changing, at least in her case, and she certainly was not complaining.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXx**

He clutched his wand with a vice-like grip. He stared at the man in front of him in disgust. How dare he not obey his orders? Punishment was necessary.

He raised his hand above his head. "_Avada Kedavra_!" he yelled and with a flick of his wand, his follower fell to the ground, dead.

Lucius Malfoy watched the scene in subdued terror. He hoped Severus would complete the potion soon. He had never seen the Dark Lord so vengeful. If Severus didn't... he shuddered, he couldn't even think of the possibility.

Severus Snape had been his friend for many years. He most certainly did not want him to die, not by the hand of the Dark Lord in this sort of mood anyway.

His gaze locked onto the large snake now slithering up to the corpse and watched as it feasted. No, he was going to make sure that this would not be Severus' fate.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Two hours had passed and she was impressed by the sheer amount of Pepperup Potion she had managed to brew in that time. Snape had walked over and inspected her work before giving a satisfactory nod and leaving the room, requesting that she bottle her handiwork, label them and place them in his storeroom before he opened the classroom door and walked outside. She wondered where he was going, but she did as she was told.

Once she had finished, she walked over to the window and glanced outside, noticing a black cloaked figure walking down to the Forbidden Forest. She instantly recognized him as her mentor, for his robes billowed in the crisp breeze and his shoulder-length hair wisped around his face. It was after hours and he had left her, alone, in his classroom.

Leaena flew through the window after Hermione decided to wait until he returned before leaving herself. She did not want to get caught out of Gryffindor tower with no way to prove her alibi.

The majestic owl swooped down and landed in front of her, holding a small note and a white-tipped red tulip. She dropped them in front of Hermione, who lifted the parchment and began to read.

_Hermione,_

_It is late and I know that by now you have completed your task. However, I know how you and your friends like to break school rules._

_Be cautious and meet me at the edge of the Forest. _

_I have something to show you... and something to tell you._

_Severus_

She picked up the flower and smelled the sweet aroma. She broke off a part of the stem and threw it away before placing the flower into her hair.

She quickly moved through the corridors and out of the Castle. She followed Leaena, who was helping her to find the hallways unoccupied by patrolling teachers.

_Clever, clever bird_, she thought as she jogged down to the Forest.

She noticed Snape leaning against a tree trunk and made her way over to him.

She giggled, "You shouldn't be encouraging me to break curfew. After all, aren't you known to be one of the strictest Professors when it comes to patrolling the halls?"

He nodded. "I am. However, in your case I can make an exception, but, just this once. This is a... unique situation." He extended an arm and brought her hand to clasp his bicep. "You need to stay close to me."

Without another word, Snape directed her through the trees and down a dirt path. She guessed that they were deep into the Forest when he finally stopped when they had entered a clearing. He whistled, like he was calling for a dog.

But it wasn't a dog that came strolling out of the trees.

It was a Thestral, a lone Thestral that came to a halt in front of her dark haired companion.

"Magnificent, isn't he?" He said as he placed a hand atop the animal's nose. The Thestral seemed to know Snape, Hermione noticed. It trusted him.

If it didn't, the man would never have been able to get so close.

Snape's head turned and he looked straight into her eyes. "That is assuming of course, that you can see him," he quickly added.

She nodded dumbly. "I can see him," she replied. "He is wonderful...a Thestral, am I correct?"

"You are." Snape stepped over and stood beside her. "He belongs to me, although I allow Hagrid to care for him when I am unable to. This unfortunately is more often than nought."

She smiled sadly. "He looks very healthy and Hagrid is fantastic with magical creatures. That is why he is the Care of Magical Creatures Professor. You have nothing to be fearful of."

"I do not doubt his abilities, Hermione," he told her. "I just wish I had more time to spend with my animal."

Hermione was getting used to seeing Snape in a caring manner. But, this touched a nerve. Her sorrow for this poor man intensified. He had a tragic life, living in service of two Master's, not having any time to let his true self show.

She realized the man she had gotten to know over the last 6 years of her life was just an act. Now, in her seventh year at the school... she was just getting to know the true Severus Snape. She wanted him to show this side of himself more often, but knew he couldn't. He was a man after all. He had a reputation to keep.

"What is his name?" she asked softly while walking up to the creature and gently patting its neck.

"Salem." He glanced at the animal, which moved its head up and down and cooed at the attention.

Unexpectedly, Hermione watched as Snape mounted the Thestral like a muggle would a horse. The animal flapped its large wings two times before it began to trot towards her.

Snape smiled at the look of confusion on her face. He gripped Salem's mane and it ceased its movements. He held out a hand.

Hermione looked at him as if he had sprouted a second head. "What?"

"Take my hand and I will help you up," he answered as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

She moved backwards vigorously shaking her head. "Oh no. No no no, no no."

He frowned. "You are safe with me. I give you my word."

She sighed, "It's not that. I just don't like flying."

Snape chuckled, a foreign but welcome sound to grace her ears. "I repeat that you are safe with me. Now, take my hand."

She moaned her displeasure before placing her hand in his. It was then that she felt him pull her onto the animal's back. She groaned and wrapped her arms around Snape's waist in an involuntary action that portrayed her fear.

"I really don't like flying," she told him again, but he just laughed and allowed Salem to move.

Salem spread his wings wide and beat them while beginning to run. His feet lifted from the Forest floor as he took to the air. Hermione's arms gripped Snape's waist tighter as she recognized just how high the animal was climbing.

Snape turned his head to look at the girl behind him. He saw that she was beginning to relax soon after his pet had reached the maximum height it was taking them too.

Salem flew them around the school grounds, but Snape directed him away from the Castle. It would not do for their little night time escapade to be seen by Minerva. He knew he was breaking several of the school's protocols, but, for the first time since joining the faculty, he did not care.

He knew it was out of character for him, but he was enjoying this. He was amused by the look of careless abandon on Hermione's face when her nerves had calmed. He was thrilled that both of his pets took to her immediately. He was happy to have a friend for the first time in twenty years.

And that's when it struck him. Violently.

Hermione Granger, the eighteen year old Gryffindor witch who was one of Harry Potter's cohorts, was his friend.

And he liked that fact. He more than liked it.

His heart swelled when he spotted her smile. How could he upset her with what she had to know now that the Imperitaserum was complete?

**xXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Dumbledore stood in the Astronomy tower, gazing at the stars above him. He had come up to the tower to think, he found it peaceful. He did not expect to see a Thestral fly passed, especially not with two passengers sitting on its back.

He smiled. He knew it was Severus, that man was just too recognizable in his trademark black robes. But, he was mildly surprised when he noticed that his companion was Hermione Granger.

And, that Severus seemed to be, dare he think, amused and enjoying the girl's company.

His eyes sparkled. Maybe there was hope for his associate yet.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXx**

He directed Salem to land when they flew over the clearing they originally set off from. The Thestral touched the ground and ran a few metres before coming to a stop, giving a soft call to his Master. Snape dismounted and placed his hands on Hermione's waist to help her get off of the animal. She placed her hands onto his shoulders and slipped off of the creature, her eyes never leaving the twinkling black ones in front of her.

Snape cleared his throat and let go of the girl, quickly instructing Salem to return to his herd before telling her that they should return to the Castle.

She sighed gently, but did as she was told and followed him through the Forest.

However, he did not advise her to return to Gryffindor tower. He merely took hold of her arm and brought her back down to the dungeons and into his private rooms.

"I did not inform you of what you need to know, as I said I would in my note." He sat her down on the sofa and then sat beside her. "It is important that you know, now, and I would rather be the person who tells you."

He was nervous, that she recognized. "Okay, go on."

"I am sure I have figured out the Dark Lord's plan, Hermione, of what he intends to do with the Imperitaserum." He searched her gaze. "I think he plans for me to drink it, and I am sure he knew that I would choose you to aid me in the task of producing it. He wants both of us to drink it. That way he would have me under his complete control and access to life or death information about Potter from you."

She gasped. "What? No, we can't let that happen! Severus, we can't."

"We must. If it comes to that, we must." He exhaled loudly. "Or, we will die."

"I will not put Harry in danger, Severus." She was angry. Her cheeks had flushed and her voice was low and husky. "Why didn't you tell me this when you first figured it out? Why did you let me help you with brewing it when you knew I could be used as a tool against Harry? Why?"

Her fury sparked his. "You were the only person skilled enough at Potions in this bloody school that could help me! I needed your help! And Potter will be fine, he always is." The venom in his voice was deadly.

Hermione growled, "Oh, so it was just my mind you wanted. My skill?" She stood up sharply. "You never did want me as an apprentice did you? But I was your only hope, so you had to."

"Hermione—"

She interrupted him, her tone lowered in pitch, "—I thought things were different now. Tonight was... I actually enjoyed spending time with you. But, you were only doing what you had to." She stormed towards the door. "Well, you got what you wanted and now you don't need me anymore. Goodbye, _Professor._" She left, slamming the door in her wake.

He was stunned, utterly paralyzed in his seat. He hadn't meant for the evening to turn so sour, and he certainly did not mean to anger her. He thought she would understand, not overreact.

He felt his heart ache. The night had been so wonderful.

And now it seemed that his developing friendship with Hermione had come crashing down around him before it had a real chance to begin.

He wanted to fix it. But how?

**

* * *

**

A/N 2:

Please review ^_^ I'd love to know what you think.

Maybe we could reach 100 reviews soon? That would be a wonderful Christmas gift ^_^


	9. Chapter 9

**A Sense of Obsession**

**Disclaimer: **All these fabulous characters belong to J.K Rowling. I do not own them in any way nor am I making any money from them.

**Summary: **Is In the previous chapters.

**A/N:** First of all I want to say sorry for the delay in the update! The Christmas and New Year period was a bit busy for me, I didn't have much time to write =(

Happy New Year to all of my readers! =)

Thanks for the wonderful reviews. I'm so glad people are enjoying this story. It's quite amazing that this was my first HG/SS fanfiction and it has such a following. I'm honoured =)

I hope you like chapter 9!

* * *

**Chapter 9**

That morning's Slytherin and Gryffindor Potions class had not gone very well for him. The potion he was working on had exploded horribly which resulted in Snape yelling for everyone to leave the class immediately and that he would be serving a detention with Filch in the evening.

This was why he was standing in the middle of the Forbidden Forest next to Filch and Rubeus Hagrid.

There was a loud, eerie whinny coming from deeper into the Forest. Harry instantly knew it was from the Thestral herd. He watched the Professor and caretaker talk before he saw Filch leave and Hagrid walk up to him.

"All right, Harry, you are to follow me down to the Thestral herd." His thick accent was strong but understandable and Harry did as he was told.

They strolled through the trees until they reached the Thestrals. Suddenly and if appearing out of nowhere, the alpha male swooped up to them; apparently he did not want them anywhere near his herd. Hagrid calmed the animal and the creature stepped backwards, allowing them to enter the clearing.

Hagrid looked forward and Harry followed his gaze. He spotted a Thestral lying on the ground, seeming to be in great distress.

Hagrid noticed this as well and took a few steps towards the creature. "Oh. I understand your behaviour now, Salem."

"Salem?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Salem is the alpha male, Harry, the one who blocked our path a few seconds ago." Hagrid knelt down beside the stressed beast. "This is Sylva, Dumbledore's personal Thestral." He ran a hand over the animal's snout. She nodded her head and shrieked. Salem reared up on his back legs and responded to the female.

The calls sent a shiver through Harry.

"She's in pain." Harry walked closer and knelt down beside Hagrid.

Hagrid nodded. "She is. But it will be over soon enough."

Harry's eyes shot up. "What do you mean?"

"She's in labour, Harry. She's giving birth. I knew it wouldn't be long until she did." The Professor smiled.

"Is she... okay? She must be the alpha female then right?"

"She will be fine and yes, she is. Salem and Sylva are the breeding pair." Hagrid soothed Sylva as she shrieked again. Salem was clearly agitated, which worried Harry. He didn't know whether the animal would attack him if he got any closer.

As if Hagrid read his thoughts, he said, "Salem won't attack us, Harry. He is very tame, despite his actions right now."

An hour went by and soon enough Sylva was lying comfortably on the grass, cleaning her newborn foul. Salem trotted next to his mate and lay beside her, watching his offspring stand for the first time.

Harry smiled. "It looks like he is happy now."

"It does, doesn't it?" Hagrid stood up straight and fell silent for a few moments. They watched the scene in front of them before Hagrid broke the silence. "I was surprised when Salem and Sylva became the alpha pair. Sylva didn't usually accept the new males when they were introduced to the herd. But, she did with Salem. I thought it was going to be a bit risky introducing him to this herd as a matter of fact, considering who Salem's owner is."

Harry looked up. "Who does Salem belong to?" he asked, interest lacing his voice.

"Professor Snape."

Harry's jaw dropped.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Hermione stormed through the hallways when Harry said goodbye to her at the main entrance. He was to serve his detention with Filch, and probably Hagrid, in the Forest while she was commanded to meet _him_ in the Potions classroom at seven pm sharp.

It made her blood boil. She didn't even deserve detention. She had nothing to do with the explosion, nor was she even helping Harry with his potion!

She only turned around to see Harry's cauldron bubbling viciously and screamed for him to turn the temperature down. Yet, it was too late. An ear-shredding bang was heard and all she remembered was being grabbed by her Professor and yanked to his chest, then being spun one hundred and eighty degrees in the opposite direction and bent forward.

All she felt was rock hard muscle and the tickle of his hair at the back of her neck.

She was in debt to him for shielding her from the blast. However, that didn't mean she couldn't still remain angry with him.

In fact, she was still furious with him.

So she trudged down the stairs to the classroom and entered it, throwing her bag down onto the seat she usually resided in during her classes and waltzed up to the desk with all intention of giving her surly mentor a piece of her mind.

However, that did not occur. For when she stopped her stride and opened her mouth to speak no words left her mouth.

He had cast a silencing charm upon her.

"No, Hermione. You will not speak until I say you can. You did not let me get a word in a few nights ago and assumed things before you learned all of the facts. While I admit I was short with you, you did not give me a chance to explain everything." His eyes burned into her and she shuddered. She had never seen him look quite as threatening as he did in that moment. So she nodded and listened to what he had to say. It wasn't as if she had a choice after all.

"I was never going to suggest that we place Mr Potter in danger, Hermione. The effects of Veritaserum can be easily broken if you have sufficient skill in Occlumency. If you had let me speak, I would have offered you lessons." He released the charm and rose from his chair. "I was rude to you. You are a skilled potioneer; I needed _and_ wanted your help. You were and are still the only person skilled enough to aid my brewing the Imperitaserum. So, I did wish you as my apprentice. And while I admire your intellect, I found myself quite enjoying your company as well."

She was speechless. She stared at him for several minutes and she knew Snape was now getting uncomfortable with her silence. He fully expected her to begin talking as soon as he had finished.

She did after a while. "I am sorry. I over-reacted. I was just shocked by your revelation. I didn't think we'd have to drink the potion. I thought he would just want to use it with his prisoners. I... I'm just so scared."

"Hush, girl. No harm will befall you. I will not allow it." His black eyes locked with her brown ones. "Trust in me. Please, I have too many people failing to do so, including many members of the Order. Only Dumbledore has complete faith in me."

"I do trust you," she whispered. "I am sorry for my reaction, I—"

"—Your reaction was over the top," he began, but as he saw her nose crinkle in anger, his lips curled and he continued, "but it was also completely reasonable."

She smirked and walked back over to her bag. "So... my detention? What would you like me to do?" She picked it up and took out her Potions textbook, placing it onto the desk beside her.

"It is not really a detention per say and there is nothing I wish for you to brew this evening," he stated. "However, I think that the sooner we begin the Occlumency lessons, the better." He glanced at her. "That is of course, if you desire them."

Her voice portrayed her excitement, "Yes, I do. Please, I would love to learn that skill."

Snape smirked. "I should have known you would be all too eager to learn something new." He removed his wand from his cloak. "Very well, we shall begin. Empty your mind of all emotion and prepare yourself."

Hermione tried to relax but it was proving futile. She heard him utter, "_Legilimens_," and felt him surge into her mind.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Harry continued to help Hagrid with Sylva and her newborn for the remainder of his detention. Sylva allowed him to approach her and her foul; however, Salem was not as willing. He jumped to his feet when Harry came close to his offspring and rearing up onto his back legs while kicking his front legs forward.

Harry flew backwards, narrowly escaping being hit by the Thestral's hooves. Hagrid tried in vain to calm Salem, but the animal was not obeying him.

"It's useless, Harry. Salem doesn't seem to like you very much. But, his mate has just had a baby. He is just..."

"Protecting his family," Harry said before Hagrid could finish. "I know. But, he does belong to Snape; maybe Salem has sensed his owner's dislike for me."

Hagrid shook his head. "Salem _is_ very tame, Harry. He is probably just feeling very territorial right now and you are a stranger to him."

Harry shrugged and stood up from where he was sitting. He heard the hoot of an owl and glanced upwards. In the faint moonlight he saw the outline of the black owl hovering over them.

"Leaena!" Hagrid greeted when he spotted the bird. "I thought you would stop by."

_Leaena? Isn't that... the owl that I've seen deliver Snape's notes to Hermione? It is! It is the same owl!_

The bird landed in front of Harry and studied him. She gave a short hoot and turned her attention to Hagrid.

Harry watched Hagrid scribble something on two pieces of parchment and hand them both to the owl. "Take one to Professor Dumbledore and give the other to Professor Snape. I am sure they will want to know about the birth."

Leaena gave a happy coo and took to the skies again, heading the in the direction of Dumbledore's office window.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Her wings carried her over the airs currents as she soared the skies, intent on delivering the news to her Master and his employer. She reached the Headmaster's window ten minutes after leaving the Forest and tapped the glass two times with her sharp beak. The window soon opened and she jumped through the gap, gliding over to the desk.

She dropped one note onto the table and waited patiently as the old gentleman opened the parchment and read the writing. She recognized the twinkle in the man's eyes and hooted, making her way back to the opened window.

"Leaena, if you will allow me, I would like to deliver this message to Severus." Dumbledore politely said to her. She cooed and lowered her head, a sign that granted his request. "Thank you."

Dumbledore strolled over to his fireplace and picked up a handful of Floo powder. He spoke the words, "Severus Snape's office" very clearly and in a flash of green light he had left his room and reappeared in the Dungeons.

He announced his presence by calling out his subordinate's name, but he received no reply. He did hear his very recognizable voice coming from the Potions classroom however and decided to make his way there.

When he stepped through the door, he spotted Snape with his wand raised and Hermione Granger sitting on a stool in front of him, looking lethargic and stressed. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow; neither of them had seemed to notice him yet, so he decided to listen in to whatever was happening.

"You are stronger than this, Hermione. I said to empty yourself of emotion, you have yet to do this," came Snape's irritated proclamation. Dumbledore sensed that his young colleague's frustration was not intended to hurt Hermione, but inspire her. He sensed that Snape wanted to make the girl think he was angry with her, make her think she was failing in order for her to focus and prove him 'wrong'.

"I'm trying," she replied, in an equally annoyed tone. "This is difficult, you know."

Snape lowered his wand. "It is not difficult if you do as I tell you! Now, let's try again." He pointed his wand towards her again. "_Legilimens_!"

Dumbledore heard the girl gasp and watched as her eyes clenched shut. He noticed her face contort in discomfort, but as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone and the next thing he knew he was watching his colleague fly across the room and collide with his desk.

He smiled.

He stayed in the shadows and observed the scene before him. Hermione opened her eyes in time to see her mentor's back smack hard against the ridge of the table and watch him fall to the floor. She screamed and ran towards him, helping him stand while repeatedly apologizing. Her expression was one of fear; fear that she had injured the Potions Professor. However, he heard a long forgotten sound emerge from his protégé's lips; laughter.

Snape sniggered and looked at the girl, who appeared horrified. "Well done," he told her. "You did as I asked, though the resistance was more violent than I thought it would be."

Her hands landed on her hips in defiance. "You are laughing at me! I thought you were hurt and you are laughing at me!"

Snape's tone was full of amusement, teasing, as he said, "Well, being thrown against a desk wasn't exactly a pleasant feeling, Miss Granger, but I assure you, I'm fine."

Dumbledore grinned when he saw the girl huff and Snape smirk in response. He thought it best to make his presence known. He called out Snape's name again, causing the two to turn around, startled.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Hermione yelped. "What are you doing here, sir?"

Snape hushed her before he greeted his elder, "Headmaster, what is it I can do for you this evening?"

His eyes twinkled. "Nothing, dear boy, I am merely here to convey a message sent to me by Hagrid. Leaena kindly allowed me to deliver it to you."

Snape's interest was piqued and he waited patiently for the Headmaster to continue.

"It seems, Severus, that Salem and Sylva are now very proud parents."

Hermione was stunned. "Salem is a father?" she uttered.

Dumbledore looked at her knowingly, "Yes, Miss Granger, he is. Sylva gave birth about an hour ago, Severus. Hagrid has said both mother and foul are doing fine and Salem is very protective of them. He wonders though, if you would be able to go down to the clearing and calm Salem, apparently he is unusually agitated, although it is completely comprehensible."

Snape nodded. "I will make my way down there now, Headmaster. I will however, take Miss Granger with me. Salem took a liking to her; maybe she will be of some assistance?"

"Yes, of course. I will also be travelling down to the Forest myself."

Hermione was confused. "May I ask why, Professor?"

Dumbledore grinned. "Sylva is my Thestral, Miss Granger."

Hermione tilted her head upwards. "Oh! I understand." She jogged back over to her table and grabbed her bag, and then the three began to head out of the class room and make their way down to the Forest clearing.

They arrived fifteen minutes later to see Hagrid and Harry sitting on the grass next to Sylva. They noticed Salem was pacing behind her, staring at Harry with angry eyes. Snape gazed at the boy he hated and found him trying his best to prove to Salem that he was no threat. The man sighed, he knew Harry's attempts at befriending his pet where not going to work in these circumstances. Salem could be stubborn, and now with his mate vulnerable and a newborn foul at her feet, Salem was certainly not going to be very welcoming of strangers.

Snape strolled over to his animal, which greeted him warmly and allowed him, as well as Dumbledore and Hermione, close to his new family. Harry was shocked. He couldn't understand why Hermione was immediately accepted by Salem.

"I've met Salem before, Harry," she uttered a few moments later. "Salem knows me."

"Oh, okay." He watched as Hermione patted the Thestral's neck and Salem cooed happily in reply. He stood and stepped backwards. Unknowingly, he was walking straight into the newborn's path.

Salem spotted this and whinnied furiously. He ran in front of his baby and reared up. Hermione was shell-shocked, Hagrid was surprised, Dumbledore was alarmed, but Snape had noticed Harry's movements. He rushed forward and grabbed Harry's arm, pulling him violently away from Salem and the infant.

"Watch where you are going!" he hissed. "You were far too close to the newborn!" He dropped Harry's arm like he had been burned by it and walked over to his upset animal. He raised his hands and made shushing noises; soon enough, Salem calmed and replaced his front feet onto the ground.

"Sorry, I didn't realize," Harry answered while keeping his gaze on the Thestral.

Snape had a hand on Salem's neck when he replied, "You need to pay more attention, Potter, to everything you do."

Dumbledore stepped in, "All right, that's enough. No one is hurt but Salem's actions are instinct, he is protecting his baby. Harry, I think it best you return to the Castle." He glanced at Hagrid. "Could you escort him please?"

Hagrid nodded obediently. "Certainly, Headmaster. C'mon Harry." He waved his hand in a gesture for the boy to follow him.

Harry stood still. "But, what about Hermione?"

Snape turned his head and snapped, "She will stay here for the time being, Potter. Her detention has not finished."

Hagrid placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him in the direction of the Castle. "Wha..."

"C'mon, Harry. I don't think it is wise for you to keep talking." Hagrid said as they began walking out of the Forest.

Snape groaned in aggravation when he turned around, but that groan was soon muted from the scene in front of him.

Hermione was sitting beside Sylva and Salem had settled beside her. The foul was playing; jumping and dancing next to its parents. Hermione was smiling. In the moonlight, her hair shone and her eyes sparkled.

He was certain that he had never seen a more beautiful sight.

Dumbledore looked back and forth between his colleague and his young student. Grinning knowingly, he told them that he would be making his way back to the Castle. He stroked Sylva, who whinnied joyfully and then left.

Hermione glanced up. Salem nudged his snout against her cheek in affection and she giggled as Snape sat down on the grass beside Sylva.

His voice was a mere whisper, but it was still audible. "He seems to be very taken with you."

She giggled again, "I know, it's amazing really. I only met him a few nights ago."

Snape stared at her. "I know."

They fell into a comfortable silence. Hermione found Snape's caring side to be utterly charming. She observed him with Salem and Sylva; both Thestrals loved him. The newborn foul was even enamoured with him, trotting around his form wanting to play.

She was seeing Severus Snape in a whole new light and even though this side of him only showed when they were alone together, she found herself smitten nonetheless.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXx**

He sat deathly still in his seat, and his followers were incredibly nervous. Lucius Malfoy stood next to him, mute and unmoving, fearing that if he so much as breathed loudly, he would be hit with a Killing Curse.

His Master's expression was one of wonder combined with one of great anger. He had no idea why, for all of their missions had gone to plan lately. He had even received a note from Severus telling him to let the Dark Lord know that the Imperitaserum was now complete and maturing faster than he thought.

For all intents and purposes, the Dark Lord should have been feeling immense happiness.

But he wasn't.

He was in the mood to kill something, or someone.

And it could have been anyone.

It turned out that his victim was a lowly Death Eater, one who was only recently recruited and who had failed to do as his Master asked. Nevertheless, the venom in the Dark Lord's voice made him quiver in panic.

Bellatrix waltzed up and fell to her knees in respect to her Master. With a wave of his hand, he permitted her to stand and she took her place at his side.

The voice was a low hiss, "Seems as though one of us is not as loyal as we originally thought." He stood sharply. "He is being drawn away slowly, sneakily... he doesn't even realise it." His tone lowered in pitch, "By a woman."

Lucius' gaze snapped up, as did Bellatrix's. She spoke softly, but with a deadly intent, "My Lord, I would like to volunteer myself for the task of disposing of this problem."

His red eyes locked upon her. "Now, now...calm yourself Bellatrix. I am yet to identify which of us is being lured to the side of Light. But, when I do... you are granted your wish."

Her expression lit up. She glanced at Lucius and grinned wickedly. He kept his gaze upon her and sighed softly. He fought the thoughts in his mind.

_Severus is clearly on our side. He has produced the Imperitaserum, he has given us crucial information... he couldn't possibly be the Death Eater the Dark Lord is talking about!_

_But, he could be. You have known Severus for years and think about it! Severus has only returned to the fold recently. He says he has been gathering information from the inside, but... has he really been doing that? Or is Bellatrix right in her assumptions? Is Severus working for Dumbledore? _

_He can't be. If he was he wouldn't have given us the information that has lead to our recent success! _

_Love can change people. If Severus has finally found it, who is to say it will not change him? Bringing Light into his Darkness?_

He took a deep breath and released it. He hoped and prayed that Severus was not the wayward Death Eater. For if he was... he would beg for death before the Dark Lord was finished with him.

* * *

**A/N 2:** Review please? I would love to know what you all think! ^_^

Maybe we could hit 110 -115 reviews? Maybe even 120? Who knows! Lol. I appreciate every single one and thank you all for them. They inspire me =)

Hopefully, if all goes to plan, chapter 10 should be up sometime early next week =D


	10. Chapter 10

**A Sense of Obsession**

**Disclaimer: **All these fabulous characters belong to J.K Rowling. I do not own them in any way nor am I making any money from them.

**Summary: **Is In the previous chapters.

**A/N:**

***PLEASE READ***

**It has been brought to my attention that while some people seem to be enjoying my story as a whole so far, others have developed a distaste about the way I am developing it, i.e. the story's romance pace, and pace in general, may be too slow. Hopefully, this chapter will erase some of those problems.**

**Re –reading my story myself, I can see their point of view. We are yet to see action, of any kind. I have been building the story so far about the developing friendship of Sev and Hermione and Voldemort's want/need for the Imperitaserum, and that his patience is now wearing thin. Now that Sev and Hermione's friendship has solidified...I can assure you that romance is well on its way.**

**Please, if you have any comments, PM me and let me know. Constructive criticism is welcomed as long as it is polite and helpful ^_^ I know my writing skills may need improving; after all... I am only a fanfiction writer, not a published one. I do not have the skills they have.**

**Also, a friend of mine pointed out a consistent spelling mistake in chapter 9. I said foul, instead of foal, lol. Whoops. **

**Thank you for reading, and please...enjoy chapter 10 =)**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 10**

_The Imperitaserum has been completed and is at full maturity, yet, I still ask her to assist me. _

_I have introduced her to Leaena...and Salem, who are both taken with her._

_When she arrives at the classroom, my heart swells._

_Why? Why is it that I crave her presence so?_

Snape sat in his office, musing about the state of the situation he had found himself in. A week had passed since the birth of Salem and Sylva's foal and in that time, he and Hermione were close to inseparable. She was either always at his classroom, his quarters, or at the library researching with him.

It had gotten to the point where even students had noticed that their surly Slytherin Potions Master was spending a lot of time with the compassionate Gryffindor princess.

It unnerved him, to say the least.

Even the staff had been sending him odd looks and gazes. Some seemed angry, others had an odd twinkle in their eye and it was those that made him even more uncomfortable.

It was true; he and Hermione Granger were friends and their relationship seemed to be strengthening. Any spare moment that they were both free from class, they were together, chatting, researching, reading... and he was enjoying it.

Craving it.

Craving _he_r.

_This is preposterous! I am nineteen years older than her, her Professor and mentor; I should not be having these...feelings... about her._

_What feelings might they be? _asked the Inner voice. _Go on, say them again. Admit them to yourself, Sev._

_The need to feel her presence... the way that when she walks into the class, my heart jumps. The indescribable emotion I feel when I notice her hair shine in the candlelight, sunlight...moonlight, her eyes sparkle when she has brewed a potion of exquisite quality, they way they sparkle when they..._

_...look at you. Yes, Sev... you have noticed that. She is enjoying your company just as much as you are enjoying hers. _

_I am just a passing fancy! She's young; she'll grow out of it. What will I do then?_

_You won't have to "do" anything. Whether you want to admit it or not, you have been observing her with other males and she has never looked at them the way she does you._

He groaned and decided to distract himself by grading some of the Potions essays that were lying on his desk. Classes had finished for the Christmas holidays, but there was still end of term homework to be marked. He brought out a pot of blood red ink, picked up his quill and started reading. It was Harry Potter's latest homework assignment. He grinned. His trusty red ink pot should fulfil its purpose, and he was sure he would need to purchase more by the end of the day.

Half an hour later, he felt his hand cramping by the sheer amount of comments and corrections he had had to write on the seventh year's essays. He shook his head and threw the rest of the pile back down onto the table. He could not take any more of the drivel his students had been writing.

His soft sigh worried the girl who was standing at the front of the room by the door. She cleared her throat and almost giggled when she saw his head snap up in fright.

"How long have you been standing there?" he asked with wide eyes.

She strolled further into the class, clasping the strap of her book bag tightly. "Long enough to hear you mumble and I quote 'the biggest bunch of dunderheads I have ever had the _dis_pleasure of knowing'." She chuckled. "Which class' essays were you marking?"

His lips curled into a smirk. "Yours."

"Ahh." She glanced back at the door before turning her head towards him again. "Well, then...yes...I agree with your deduction."

"Really?" he drawled, humour gracing his voice. "Interesting to know."

She smiled mischievously, and he noted that it was almost...Slytherin-like.

It excited him.

Her tone was teasing, "Yes, I am spending far too much time with you." She propped herself on the side of his desk. "However, I am enjoying it. I find that I can be myself more around you than I can with even Harry and Ron."

He replaced his ink pot and quill back into a desk drawer. "Oh? Is there trouble in paradise so much as to want to spend time with your friend's mortal enemy?"

She laughed heartily, "No! And I wouldn't go as far to say you are their 'mortal' enemy. An enemy...yes, you certainly dislike each other enough to call it that, but not a 'mortal' enemy."

He found her eyes. "I'm sure they would disagree."

"Well, then, let them," she stated, crossing her arms as she spoke. "I don't care."

"How very Slytherin-like of you, Miss Granger. It would have been interesting to see what it would have been like if you had been placed into my House."

"I bet you would have loved that," she sarcastically remarked. "I bet all of Slytherin would have loved a Muggleborn witch in their beloved house."

"I have nothing against Muggleborns, Hermione. I have told you that." He stood. "I would have loved for you to be in my House. A stunningly wonderful intellect like yours needs to be moulded, not melted." His robes billowed as he walked to a hidden cupboard and took something from it.

It was a relatively large, yet thin, rectangular box, wrapped in green and silver, foil-like paper.

He reached for her hands and turned them palm side up. He gently placed the box into them. "This is for you." He looked down deep into her eyes. "A combination of a thank you gift and a Christmas present, in case I will not be here to hand it to you Christmas morning."

She was surprised...utterly astounded. In a million years, she never would have thought Severus Snape would ever give her any sort of gift. Yet, here one was, sitting in the palms of her hands. "Would you like me to open it now? Or wait until Christmas day? And why won't you be able to give it to me on Christmas morning?"

"That is your choice," he replied. "Personally, I would like to see you open it now, that way I can see your reaction, whether good or bad... and to answer your final question..." He moved over to his stock cupboard, though Hermione stood still. He called to her, "I wouldn't possibly be able to hand you a gift if I am called to the Dark Lord, which is what usually happens now, seeing as he is not partial to joyous celebrations or holidays."

She nodded and looked at the box. She waited until he returned to her before running a finger under the paper and opening it like she would an envelope. She pulled a white box from the wrapping. It was plain; there were no indication that gave her a hint as to what it contained.

She glanced at her friend, who stared at her like a giddy school boy. She smiled and pulled the lid off of the box. She gasped at what she saw.

It was a jewellery set. Not so elaborate as to rouse suspicion from people, but the pieces were beautiful.

There was a necklace and a bracelet. The necklace was pure gold, with a lioness pendant that had a small ruby for an eye. The bracelet meanwhile, was sterling silver. It was the most intricate piece. It was in the shape of a snake which was incredibly detailed, with emerald gems for eyes.

"This must have cost you a fortune," she whispered. She placed the box on a table and picked up the bracelet, sliding it over her hand and onto her wrist.

"Maybe..." He picked up the necklace and with one hand, he turned her so her back was to him. His shifted her hair to the side and placed the chain around her neck, fastening it as he said, "Though, I do know the store owner."

She turned to face him. "You did not have to do this...waste your money on me I mean."

"Waste? No." She noticed the sheer amount of emotion in his eyes. It was something she had never seen before. "I did not waste my money on you. You deserve this, for all you have done for me...and for all you will do. Not to mention all you have managed to put up with. You are right; I did not have to buy you anything. But I wanted to."

She rose up onto her tiptoes and kissed his cheek with a softness he had never had the opportunity to see nor feel before. "Thank you...so much. They are beautiful, I love them."

Their eyes locked again...if someone had been watching the scene, they would have said they could see sparks flutter between them. The emotion in the room was that intense, that raw...

He cleared his throat, effectively breaking the moment. "What is it you wished to see me for anyway, Hermione?"

"I um..." She stepped backwards slightly. "We had agreed to dine together tonight, to discuss my Occlumency lessons and devise a plan to combat the potion, should we need to drink it."

Damn, he had forgotten about that. "Ah, yes...we did indeed. Unfortunately, it had slipped my mind." He spun around sharply. "No matter, follow me. We will adjourn to my chambers and I shall call upon the House elves to bring us something to eat."

**xXxXxXxXxXxXx**

He couldn't believe that she was with Snape yet again. What was so important? Surely her "extra credit" classes did not have to take place every single day?

Harry sat in the Gryffindor Common Room; pondering over the homework his Potions teacher had given him, not to mention Ron, for completion over the holiday period. He was furious that Snape gave only them homework. Hermione had even gotten away with getting no homework. But, if what she said was true...she was too busy with extra credit potion brewing to be able to write a three foot long essay on the types of Dark potions out there, their effects and how to counteract them.

Still...why were only he and Ron given the assignment? It was not fair.

This essay was much better suited to Hermione. She had the brain and the patience to research it.

He shook the thoughts from his mind. He had to concentrate. If he didn't finish this essay, there would be hell to pay. Also, chances were that Hermione was not going to be able to proof read his essay if Snape kept her away from them every evening.

_No, I have to focus. I just have to accept that he has given her an apprenticeship._

He grabbed the several books Hermione had slammed down onto the table in front of him before she left. He picked up the first one, turned to the pages she had marked out for him, and began reading.

Ron and Ginny soon entered the room to find Harry taking notes. Ron just raised an eyebrow while Ginny smiled.

"Turning into Hermione are we, Harry?" said Ginny.

The boy looked up. "No, but I'm actually finding this pretty interesting."

Ron looked bewildered. "What? An essay set by Snape, is interesting?" The red headed boy plopped himself down onto the sofa next to his friend.

"If you read these books, the chapters Hermione has told us to look at, you will see what I mean."

Ginny pulled the book Harry held in his hands towards her. Her eyes skimmed the pages. "He has a point, Ron." She tossed the book towards her brother.

He lazily drew his gaze over the words, until something caught his attention. "Is this possible?"

"Apparently so, though they are incredibly difficult to make," Harry answered.

Ginny glanced at her boyfriend, "But 'hybrid' potions? I have never heard of them. Snape hasn't even mentioned them in class."

Harry pointed to another book, quickly turned to a page and gave it to her. "They are rare, because they are so complicated. Not to mention, they are almost always Dark potions. Maybe Dumbledore told Snape that he wasn't allowed to teach us about them?"

"Well, you would think he would allow Moody to teach us about them then, you know in Defence against the Dark Arts if they are so Dark and dangerous?" Ron stated.

Ginny slapped her brother's arm and gave him the book she had been reading. "Harry just said they are rare. Maybe Dumbledore felt it was not necessary for us to know about them."

Ron picked up Harry's notes, which had the information about the essay he had to write on it, and threw them at her. "Then why is Snape making us write an essay on this?"

She read Snape's familiar scrawl that was above the notes Harry had made.

_Research Dark potions. Write a 3 foot long essay describing:_

_The types of potions_

_The effects_

_Ways to neutralize them_

_You will have until term resumes._

"How should I know?" Ginny handed the parchment back to Harry, who accepted it and began to note down more information. "But, you better do it. Snape has actually given you more time to complete it than he usually does. I wouldn't try his patience by handing it in late."

"Why do you think I've started?" said Harry. "I'm already standing on thin ice after that detention last week. I apparently upset Snape's Thestral."

"Snape has a Thestral?" Ron stuttered.

"Yeah, it's the head of the herd," replied Harry.

"What did you do?" asked Ginny as she moved to sit beside him.

Harry gazed at her and pushed his parchment aside. "I don't know. It just didn't like me. Then I almost bumped into its baby, so I understand why it tried to attack me then. But, I didn't really do anything else. I tried to tell it I wasn't a threat, but it wouldn't listen."

Ron couldn't believe his ears. "Snape's Thestral has a baby? It's the Alpha male?" Harry swore his friend looked on the verge of fainting. Ginny chuckled upon seeing her brother's expression.

"Anyway...Hermione was there when Snape came down to try and calm...what was its name...oh yeah, Salem. Do any of you find it strange about how much time she is spending with Snape lately?"

Ginny frowned. "Harry, she is his apprentice."

"So?"

"Well, she needs to go to the extra lessons," Ginny responded.

Ron looked back and forth between his friend and his sister. He was nervous to express his own thoughts about the situation, fearing his sister's wrath if he disagreed with her, yet fearing his friend's if he disagreed with him.

But, his own ideas agreed with Harry's. "Harry has a point, Gin," he told her. "Hermione is spending too much time down there for it to be extra lessons." He lowered the pitch and tone of his voice. "Do you think he is making her brew something she shouldn't be? Like one of these Dark potions he is making us research?"

Ginny's expression darkened and she looked positively horrified. "Don't be ridiculous, Ron."

"Yeah, Ron...if Snape wanted Hermione to produce an 'evil' potion, why make us research antidotes and learn about recognizing the effects?" Harry added. "He would want to hide what they been making, not drawing attention to it." He stretched his tired muscles. "And, anyway," he said after a few minutes, "I meant that Hermione is spending time with Snape...in a personal sense. She seems to know things about him that we don't. And, I've seen her talk to him about his pets...that is not Potions related."

The three Gryffindors fell silent. Ginny decided to help the boys with their research; she was becoming bored with watching them scratch their quills against parchment. She grabbed a book and flipped through it until she reached the correct chapter and began reading.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXx**

He couldn't fathom how she made him shift from one thought to another so quickly. He had been convinced that if she did indeed feel for him greater than that of mere camaraderie and friendship, it was only a school-girl crush. One that wouldn't last.

Now, however, he was beginning to think differently.

He watched her as she absentmindedly fiddled with the pendant around her neck, holding the pendant with her thumb and forefinger before running the index finger and her third finger up over the chain. Occasionally, he would spot her staring at the bracelet; like she physically couldn't stop herself.

He found it heart-warming. She truly liked his gift.

He couldn't quite grasp the reason as to why he had felt the desire to purchase her a Christmas gift. All he knew was that he wanted to consummate their friendship, ensure that he held her forgiveness for their disagreement and thank her for all of the help. He knew there were going to be hard times ahead. He wanted her to know he appreciated her.

He had even gone as far as to pay attention to what food she ate at breakfast, lunch and dinner so he could tell the House elves to prepare her favourite meal.

She had been speaking, asking about her Occlumency lessons, and he noticed that he hadn't answered her question. He had just been sitting there, in his own little world.

He cleared his throat. "Sorry, Hermione, could you say that again?"

She smirked. "I knew you were not listening to me. Tired of my incessant questions again?" She was teasing him.

The little wench.

"I was thinking...my lack of attention was nothing to do with you."

Her expression turned playful, yet portrayed a hint of seriousness when she asked, "Oh, were those thoughts anything to do with me?"

_More than you will ever know. _"No, not really." He stood from where he sat and walked over to a bookshelf at the other end of the room. "I was trying to figure out a way to combat the effects of the Imperius Curse in the Imperitaserum."

_Liar._ "Oh okay." She fidgeted a little, trying to get more comfortable. She had been sitting in an awkward position with her right leg tucked under her left thigh and she was beginning to feel the familiar unpleasant tingling of her leg falling asleep. "Did you come up with anything?"

He sighed; she picked up a note of defeat. "No. I did not."

"Well," She walked over to where he stood. She raised her hand and followed the path his was taking across the spines of the many books on the shelf. "How about we both try to figure something out? You have to remember, I am here to help you. You don't have to do everything yourself anymore."

He was certain he felt a spark of electricity sting his fingers when Hermione's hand brushed against them. He quickly shoved the thought as far down as he could manage. He couldn't and wouldn't do this.

He was not developing feelings for her. He wasn't. He couldn't. Not in these times.

It was far too dangerous.

If the Dark Lord ever found out about her...

He shuddered.

It went unnoticed by his companion; she was too focused on her own body's reaction... for she had felt the same spark.

She was now convinced. She did indeed have a crush on her Professor.

* * *

**A/N 2:** There we go...the sexual tension has finally begun to show itself =D

Just a quick note to remind readers that this story does not have a beta. I try my best to spot any mistakes before I post, but I know I have missed some in previous chapters.

I hope you have enjoyed Chapter 10. Please review? ^_^ Let's try for 140 reviews? =) But, if not, no worries. I thank everyone who does review. I am grateful for all of your wonderful comments and thoughts.


	11. Chapter 11

**A Sense of Obsession**

**Disclaimer: **All these fabulous characters belong to J.K Rowling. I do not own them in any way nor am I making any money from them.

**Summary: **In Chapter 1.

**A/N: I am so sorry for the delay. I was busy last week, semester had started back up and I couldn't get online very often, if at all. **

**Thank you all for all the kind reviews. Your comments were all wonderful.**

**I have no beta, so I'm sorry for any mistakes. I try my best to spot any before I post, but I know I do sometimes miss a few.**

**Here is Chapter 11. I hope you all enjoy it! ^_^**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 11**

**

* * *

**

It was an excruciating pain. It shot through his entire body, causing all of his nerve endings to scream for the torture to stop, yet, no such scream left his lips. In his torment, he remained silent. His eyes closed in a desperate attempt to control the agony and his knees buckled, causing him to lose his balance, falling onto them with a dull thud that made even Lucius Malfoy cringe.

Severus Snape had not done as he was told.

He had not delivered the potion to his Dark Master the second he found out it was at full maturity. Instead, he had waited until now...over a week after the fact.

Other Death Eaters would have been writhing on the floor under the strength of the Cruciatus Curse the Dark Lord was administering. But, not Snape, no, Lucius knew he was far too strong to display pain publically. It was one of the traits he admired in his friend; the ability to keep everything so tightly locked away inside that shell of his. Emotional detachment was both a blessing and a curse.

It was a blessing because it was useful in repelling even more torture by their Dark Master. Yet, it was a curse because it had overtaken his life.

Lucius Malfoy sighed noiselessly. Even though he was a follower of the Dark Lord, he had managed to find love with Narcissa Black and sire a son; an heir to his fortune and legacy.

Severus had not. Severus had no one; no wife, no child, and no heir to the Snape name.

Soon he saw the discomfort in his friend's expression fade as the curse was lifted.

"I trust you have brought the Imperitaserum, Severus?" he heard his Master say with a hiss. "Or is a more severe punishment necessary?"

Lucius observed his friend stand shakily and bring his hand into the lining of his cloak. He pulled out two bottles filled with a pale blue liquid; the Imperitaserum.

Severus had managed to brew it successfully. He was impressed to say the least.

"Ahh..." Voldemort sighed as he snatched the vials from Snape's hand. "Well done, Severus."

Snape lowered his head in a respectful nod.

"Tell me..." the Dark Lord began. "Did you use Potter's Mudblood friend?"

"Yes, my Lord." Lucius heard Snape utter. "I did. Her knowledge with Potions proved to be most useful."

The Dark Lord swooped closer to the raven-haired man. "You used her blood?"

"I did, my Lord. She gave it willingly." Snape did not raise his head when he spoke.

"Excellent. Soon, my friends, we shall no longer have to worry about Harry Potter or the Order of the Phoenix." Voldemort raised the two bottles into the air, displaying them for all of his followers to see. "As soon as this potion is shoved down his filthy Mudblood friend's throat, we shall have all of the information we require to finally destroy them."

Lucius could have sworn he saw guilt in his friend's eyes... guilt and self-disappointment.

He had no idea how right he was.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXx**

It was a day before classes resumed and to her surprise Harry and Ron had completed their essays for Snape, writing the full three feet required of them. She was immensely proud of her friends, and it meant that they could finally have one day to relax.

Hermione had suggested a trip out into the grounds. It was a cool, crisp afternoon, but the sun was shining and there was not a cloud to be seen. So, the boys agreed.

Hermione directed them into the Forest and Harry knew where she was taking them. He was nervous all of a sudden but he trusted her, so he followed.

She led them into the clearing where the Thestral herd lay. Salem spotted her and galloped towards them, coming to a stop a few feet away. She smiled and stepped towards him, patting his neck before turning to her friends and laughing at their wide eyed gaze.

"Salem is very gentle," she told them as Salem whinnied and scraped one hoof on the ground two times.

"Yeah, sure he is...he wasn't with me when I last saw him," Harry moaned.

Hermione sighed, "His mate had just given birth, Harry. He was very territorial."

"Whoa, wait a minute... are you saying this is Snape's Thestral?" Ron stuttered, moving his hands restlessly.

"Yes, Ron. It is," Hermione replied while watching Salem as he extended his wings, moving one forward slightly, and flicked his head towards his back.

"Uh, Hermione... is he telling you to sit on his back?" asked Harry, his expression one of confusion and shock.

"How does it know you so well?" questioned Ron a few seconds afterward.

Salem trotted towards her slightly, urging her to climb up onto him. "I've met him before, Snape...erm, introduced me to him." She placed her hands onto the animal's back and pushed herself upwards and onto him.

Harry noticed that Salem looked very pleased that Hermione had accepted his offer. The Thestral trotted forwards, but away from the two boys. Harry heard him call and soon enough he felt the nudge of a snout against the back of his right arm.

Sylva was behind him, making the same movements Salem had only a few moments before.

He spotted the young foal standing behind its mother, looking rather mischievous. It started to prance around Ron's ankles, causing Hermione to giggle.

"She's very playful, Ron. Keep her company for a couple of minutes, will you?" With that Salem extended his wings again and reared up onto his back legs, just enough for him to begin a speedy run. With two flaps, they were up in the air, soaring high above the tree tops.

Harry and Ron looked on in wonder as Hermione directed him to hover, both wondering when on earth she became comfortable with flying.

Sylva soon copied her mate and took to the skies. Harry held tightly onto her mane during take-off, but released some of the pressure when she also began to hover.

Salem looked at his partner with a gleam in his eyes. Sylva mirrored the gaze and before long they both shot off towards the Black Lake, flying side by side. Harry was momentarily stunned by the sudden speed and had to grab Sylva's mane to stop himself from falling. Hermione laughed wholeheartedly and asked Salem to turn.

The two Thestral's were synchronised as they flew, dictated by what Hermione told Salem. Harry found himself chuckling as the adrenaline moved through his system. There were occasions where Salem and Sylva moved the way they wanted to and not the way that Hermione had asked of them; diving steeply before straightening their flight path.

Neither boy nor girl noticed they were being watched from the lakeside.

Severus Snape was collecting some ingredients for his stores when he heard the unmistakable coo of his Thestral from high above him. His head snapped up towards the sky, catching a glimpse of Sylva and Salem, along with their passengers.

His eyes remained on them from that moment.

_You have never been one for play, Salem... so why are you now? You will always continue to astonish me, my friend. _

He quickly gathered the ingredients he needed before placing them into a pocket within his robes, and then sat back to watch them with his full attention.

Salem spotted his owner and flew lower, but Sylva this time did not follow. She had noticed Snape and flew back towards the Forest clearing. She landed softly and walked over to where her foal was playing, allowing Harry to slip off of her back before laying down to stare at her baby.

"Where's Hermione?" asked Ron when Harry sauntered towards him.

"I don't know. Everything was fine, Sylva was following Salem and we were having a laugh. But then Salem noticed something by the Lake and flew down to inspect it, while Sylva came back here," he answered breathlessly.

"Should we try to find her?"

"Actually, no," replied Harry. "Salem seems attached to Hermione, I don't think he'll hurt her, nor let anything hurt her."

"Okay, well, we better make our way up to the Castle anyway. We may bump into her on our way there."

Salem, meanwhile, had landed at the lakeside and walked up towards his Master. Snape stood and Salem greeted him affectionately, batting his snout against the palm of his owner's hand. Hermione smiled at the interaction and her gaze was fixated onto her Potions Master when he stepped up to Salem's side and reached out his arms, offering to help her down from the animal's back. She accepted and placed both hands onto his shoulders while he gripped her waist, slowly lifting her and placing her feet onto the ground.

"Thank you," she whispered while staring directly into his onyx eyes.

"You're welcome," he answered and removed his hands from her person. "I didn't expect to see you out here today, least of all with Salem."

"Yes, well... I wanted to visit him and see Sylva and the baby again. Harry and Ron didn't mind, although Harry was nervous to approach Salem after last time."

He hummed, "I have no doubt." He smirked wickedly before he said, "I'm sure Potter was not best pleased when he saw Salem."

"Not at first," she giggled. "But when Salem did not attack him, he calmed down a little. And then Salem wanted me to fly with him, and Sylva allowed Harry to fly with her."

His lips curled into a half smile before things fell silent for a few moments. He caught sight of her wrist—and the bracelet—and it felt like all of the air was knocked from his lungs.

"You're wearing it," he murmured. It was so quiet; it took Hermione several seconds to realize he had said something.

"Yes, Severus... of course I am. You gave it to me. Why wouldn't I wear it?"

He shifted slightly. "Perhaps you were only being polite before Christmas. I haven't seen you since that night, as you left to spend Christmas with your family, so I didn't know if you had in fact worn it at all since then."

She grinned at his obvious uneasiness. "Well, I have... several times, including now."

"I see." It was hard to tell, but she was sure that she saw his ego swell.

Again things fell silent. Hermione studied his face. He looked tired; the bags around his eyes had doubled in size since she had last seen him, and, if it were possible, she would have said that his skin appeared to be more pallid than usual.

"Are you all right?" she asked softly. Her expression had changed from humour to pure concern, it amazed him how much emotion she could portray in just one look. "You look... ill."

He shook off her comment. "I'm fine. It's nothing to worry yourself over at this moment. Although I must warn you, the Dark Lord now has the Imperitaserum." He exhaled a long breath. "It will only be a matter of time before we are forced to drink it."

Her face contorted in shock. "He called for you on Christmas Day, didn't he?"

Snape nodded slowly. "He did indeed and he was not pleased that I had waited over a week after the potion's maturation to give it to him."

Her hands clapped over her lips. "Oh, tell me he didn't..."

"There is no need to worry about me, Hermione. I have been tortured many times before," he hissed.

"Why shouldn't I worry?" she snarled back. "You could have been forced to drink the potion there and then. For all I know, that could have happened and you are under his control right now!"

He sneered which caused her to wrinkle her nose in fury. "Hermione, believe me when I say... if that were true, you would most certainly know."

She huffed and folded her arms across her chest. "Oh and how would I know?"

He grinned at her behaviour, such a typical, stubborn little Gryffindor. "Salem would not have greeted me as warmly as he did several minutes ago. He would know that it wasn't truly me"

Her arms dropped to her sides. "Oh... okay." Her gaze travelled over him again. "But, you were hurt?

He sighed in defeat. "I received the Cruciatus Curse,yes... for not obeying instructions fully."

Snape told Salem to return to his herd and the Thestral did as he was told immediately. He then gestured for Hermione to walk with him. "You see, I was told to bring the Imperitaserum to him the second it was matured. I failed to do so, therefore, I was punished."

Her expression was sad, he noticed... and it pained him to see her upset. "Hermione please, I am not worth your sadness. I am used to torture; I have grown to block at least some of the pain caused by it."

"You shouldn't have to go through this," she uttered. "You have been through so much; lived through so much... you shouldn't need to do anymore."

"My life has been fraught with danger, Hermione. I made many wrong choices in my youth." He stared straight ahead; his hands were clasped together at the small of his back. "I am only now making up for those mistakes, and no matter how much good I have done, it doesn't match up to even half of the evil."

She stepped in front of him, causing his stride to cease. "You have done nothing but good since the end of the First War. You were a Death Eater for less time than you have been a member of the Order. Surely, you have done more good than evil?"

"Not in my eyes," he stated mellifluously. Hermione's eyes softened in sorrow. "Come now, we must figure out a plan to battle the Imperitaserum. As I have said, it will only be a matter of time before we are forced to drink it."

**xXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Enoch sat on his perch regally; his head was curled around his body, pruning his feathers. His owner sat at the head of the dining room table, chin sitting in the palm of his hand, blond strands of hair brushing against the side of his handsome face, thinking deeply about what had transpired over Christmas.

His Dark Master now had the most dangerous potion known to the Wizarding world. It was impossible to say he wasn't scared for his life—not to mention the lives of his family.

He loved his family, being a Death Eater didn't change that.

He feared for the lives of Narcissa and Draco... the Dark Lord had always been privy to changing his mind, so what was to say he would not give that Imperitaserum to them, or himself for that matter?

He glanced at his Eagle owl, who turned his head and stared at him with those wide amber eyes. The owl hummed and then returned to its grooming.

Lucius sighed. What was he to do?

Severus was balancing on a very thin rope. No other Death Eater apart from himself trusted the raven haired man. The Dark Lord himself was seemingly having doubts about his allegiance as well, given the torture he had administered on Christmas day.

But, how could they mistrust him? He had prepared the Imperitaserum, used Potter's friend's blood in the brewing, created it _perfectly_... and even though it was a little late, he had still given it to the Dark Lord.

The blond man ran his hands over his face, threading his hair between his fingers and pushed it back out of his vision. He was tired, tired and stressed. He had to find out what exactly Severus was trying to do... whose side Severus was truly on. It would be the only way to stop his inner battles.

He called for his majestic bird and tucked a note into a band on Enoch's ankle. It then took flight and soared out of the open window, in the direction of Hogwarts School.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Harry and Ron had reached the covered bridge that led to the School's entrance. It was there they stood, hiding behind a large bush, watching the scene before them.

Hermione and Snape...together... chatting like old friends?

Something was very weird with that picture.

She was giggling. He was... smiling? Was that really a smile?

One side of his mouth was curled upwards; his eyes were narrow in what seemed to be humoured expression...

_It's a half smile I suppose, _thought Harry. _When does Snape smile?_

As far as he could tell, they were discussing something, but it had veered off track. That was until he saw Snape become serious and direct her back to the Castle, saying something that looked suspiciously like, "Meet me in the Dungeons at seven pm."

Years of sneaking around the Castle had given him a pretty sound lip reading skill.

But why would they be meeting up, yet again?

He was having just about enough of it, if he was perfectly honest.

Maybe it was time to break out his invisibility cloak and find out just what these secret meetings were about?

* * *

**A/N 2:**

**Oooh more drama, more tension, more friendship and more sneaky Harry!**

**This chapter is a little shorter than my others, the next one will be longer ^_^**

**It took me a few rewrites before I was happy with this chapter. I hope you have enjoyed it. Please review? I appreciate all comments. Maybe we could reach 160 reviews? I would love to reach 200 reviews before Chapter 15. **


	12. Chapter 12

**A Sense of Obsession**

**Disclaimer: **All these fabulous characters belong to J.K Rowling. I do not own them in any way nor am I making any money from them.

**Summary: **In Chapter 1.

**A/N: **Again I am super sorry for the delay in the update. I've had several computer issues that have only just cleared up =(

I am honoured with the sheer amount of reviews I have and everyone's kind words. They cheer me up and inspire me to keep writing. I'm glad everyone is enjoying the story; it makes me happy to know everyone is eagerly awaiting the updates.

No beta, any mistakes are mine. I do try to catch all of them before I post, but occasionally I miss a few.

A little warning; this is a rather sad chapter.

That said... I hope you like chapter 12.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**

* * *

**

Her body was a stark contrast to the red, orange and pink hues that highlighted the bright evening sky. She was playing, hovering in circles over the Thestral herd, teasing Salem and his baby, taunting them... asking them to chase her.

Sylva lay on the soft, dew covered grass, staring at the shadowy owl before turning to look at her infant. She was prancing in circles, following Leaena's every movement. Sylva cooed and lay her head down, closing her eyes in an attempt to get some sleep.

Salem meanwhile nudged his offspring, encouraging her to spread her wings and take flight. She nervously looked at him and then directed her gaze at the small black creature above her. She extended them; mimicking her father, and flapped them as strongly as her little body would allow her.

She took to the air gracelessly, but, under the careful tuition of her father, by copying his every motion, her confidence increased and she was soon pursuing the owl, trailing after her above the sanctuary of the clearing.

It continued for several minutes until a sharp, loud hoot was heard, startling the infant Thestral and alerting Leaena to the presence of her friend.

Salem ushered his offspring back down to her mother, recognizing the other owl immediately. He landed elegantly and glanced upward, watching the two birds greet each other and fly off in the direction of the Castle.

Leaena and Enoch soared over the air currents and shot through a window into the Great Hall. They spiralled around one another before landing in front of the man, dressed solely in black, sitting at the Head Table. Enoch lifted his leg in a gesture that told the human to take the note, and when he did, he waited patiently for his treat. Once he received a tasty morsel of beef from the dark man's plate, he took to the air again, heading in the direction he came from.

Leaena stared at her Master and nipped his finger playfully. She hummed appreciatively when she too obtained a scrap of beef and then followed her friend back out into the grounds.

Snape shook his head and ripped open the envelope, knowing full well that whatever Lucius had to say was not going to be good news. His fingers gripped the small, white piece of paper and he pulled it from its casing, unfolding it once it was free.

His eyes skimmed over the neat scrawl.

_Severus,_

_After the events that happened at Christmas, I feel it necessary to warn you my friend._

_The Dark Lord is not pleased with you._

_I suspect you know this after what happened._

_Why didn't you follow your orders exactly? He is very anxious at the moment, Severus. The end of this War is nearer than anyone realises... do you know what that means?_

_Potter will soon be a memory._

_Severus, I ask as your friend. Obey the Dark Lord; do as he says... exactly as he says. You do not want to invoke his anger._

_Your friend,_

_Lucius_

Again Snape shook his head, however this time it was more out of frustration than disbelief. He finished his meal without a word spoken to the man glancing in his direction. The older wizard had an expression of both confusion and worry written across his face, but Snape just kept his eyes forward. There was no need to tell Dumbledore, after all, this note was merely a warning, not a command.

As he lifted his fork to place the last small slice of beef into his mouth, he heard the undeniable noise of Hermione's laughter coming from the Gryffindor table. His eyes turned and found her, giggling at something Potter must have said.

He chewed the final bite of his food and, after he swallowed, he pushed his plate away and stood, twirling around with a billow of robes before stalking through the door that led to the Dungeons.

He descended the stairs quickly. Soon enough, he was at the entrance to the Potions classroom. He shoved the door open, causing a loud crash to reverberate off of the walls, echoing down the corridor. The portraits made their displeasure known; however, Snape ignored them. He was not in the mood to listen to whining paintings.

He marched over to his store cupboard, throwing the door open when he reached it and climbed the ladder. His gaze travelled over all of his shelves, and when he spotted what he was looking for, he picked up the small, green bottle and stepped down.

He studied it. His mind was rampant with thoughts...arguments. They were warring against one another, with neither coming out on top.

_Should I? It will be a way to find out once and for all... however it could be dangerous. I could lose their trust. I'm hanging by a thin cord with them as it is._

He clenched his eyes shut and opened them again, before tucking the vial into his robes.

Decision made.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXx**

His scar burned. Yet, it was not a pain that indicated imminent danger from Voldemort. Well, not towards him anyway. He knew it was a sign, a bad sign, but he had no idea why he was receiving it.

He assumed it was because of his connection with the Dark Lord.

The Great Hall suddenly fell silent. The Divination Professor, Sybill Trelawney, had become very rigid and Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall had surrounded her.

If they had been trying to ensure her voice remained quiet, they had failed. For everyone heard her words.

"_The Dark Lord approaches. A Snake will slither and a Griffin will fly. Their pairing combined with power of The Chosen One shall vanquish the Dark Lord..."_

Harry stood gobsmacked at yet another prophecy that involved him at its core. However, he recognized that the prediction did not involve him entirely.

_A snake and a griffin? What is that woman on about?_

Before he knew it, the Great Hall had emptied and Dumbledore was calling for him and Ron to the follow him. Harry turned and instantly noticed that Hermione wasn't there.

"Where is Hermione?" he asked Ron.

The redhead shrugged. "I don't know. She disappeared after Trelawney stopped talking." He lowered his voice as they neared Dumbledore. "I think I saw her head for the same door Snape left from."

**xXxXxXxXxXxXx**

There was a flurry of black smoke that soon morphed into the long robes of Lord Voldemort. He stood at the farthest edge of the Forbidden Forest, taking care not to be detected by the various creatures that called the Forest their home.

He slowly walked between the trees like an animal stalking his prey. He arrived at his destination and swiftly strolled over to the animal lying asleep on the grass.

His familiar wound herself around his skeletal body down onto the ground. She slid with menace. She coiled her body like an expert hunter. She flung herself forward and struck her victim. Her fangs sunk into target's neck, cutting of its air supply.

The animal shrieked, the commotion alerting the other creatures. Salem shot through the Forest, galloping towards the noise.

He came to an instant stop when he saw the large snake feed on her prey.

His infant trotted to his side in panic. As she screeched in fear, she caused Voldemort's eyes to shoot upwards, meeting her angry father's glare.

Salem whinnied and reared onto his back legs before breaking into another gallop. Voldemort calmly took out his wand.

"_Incarcerous!_"

Ropes wound themselves around Salem's legs, tripping him. His shrill calls caused his infant to run deeper into the Forest and then out into the Hogwarts grounds, in the direction of the Castle.

She shakily extended her wings and beat them. Her feet left the floor and she was soon flying in terror towards the window, outside of which Leaena and Enoch were playing.

With a sadistic smile, Voldemort collected his pet and disapparated.

Leaena caught a glimpse of the frightened baby and promptly flew out of her way. Enoch looked on in wonder as the baby crashed through the glass window and into Albus Dumbledore's office.

She was uninjured, but shaken when she noticed Hermione sitting on a chair next to her father's Master, as well as several other humans who all had been taken aback by what had happened.

She stood and cantered to Hermione, shrieking and nipping on her robes, pulling her, trying to get the girl to stand.

"Ciara, what's wrong?" Hermione cooed towards the baby.

Snape was alarmed by the foal's behaviour.

Dumbledore was just as concerned.

Hermione knew something was wrong.

Without a word to their colleagues, all three left the office and made their way to the clearing.

Harry, Ron and McGonagall stood still, glancing at one another before pursuing their respective friends.

By the time they reached them, they saw the reason why the infant was so scared.

Harry observed Snape and Hermione sprint to Salem, untying the animal prior to a desperate attempt to settle him. Snape actually appeared to be upset, but even Harry couldn't blame him. Not with what they spotted next.

Dumbledore was standing deathly still, staring at a section of clearing that held the reason.

Sylva.

Salem kicked out in distress, throwing his hind legs back to escape the clutches of his owner. Snape jumped backwards and watched as his beloved pet bellowed and lay beside his mate, curling his head onto her body in grief.

"Who could do this?" whispered Hermione. "Who or what could have killed her?"

"Isn't it obvious?" said Snape. His voice was quiet, but it was clear that he was as disturbed as they all were. "Headmaster, I―"

The elder wizard sighed, "I know, Severus... I know."

McGonagall placed a hand on Dumbledore's shoulder in an unsuccessful attempt at comfort.

Harry saw Hermione tilt her head in an effort to catch Snape's gaze. He saw her eyes narrow in sorrow and her lips curl into a sad frown. Snape nodded in recognition of what she was trying to do.

"Salem will not leave her side," he said, breaking the silence. "What shall we do? Ciara has no mother, and Salem cannot feed her, not at the moment anyway."

"I will arrange something with Hagrid," Dumbledore murmured in reply. "Ciara has taken a shine to our dear Miss Granger, perhaps you will be able to bottle feed her if she refuses Hagrid?"

Hermione bobbed her head. "Of course, Professor."

"Very well."

After a heartfelt goodbye, they each made their way back to the Castle. To his amazement, Harry did not question why Hermione left with Snape. Hermione seemed to be the only one he was listening too, and although he found that odd, he knew grief could make a person do strange things.

He realized his plans on finding out just what they were up to had to wait until another day.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXx**

She trailed after him. His stride was unusually fast in her opinion, but she was able to keep up with him. What surprised her was when he unwarded the entrance to his private rooms, she fully expected him to turn her away, tell her to get back to Gryffindor Tower in a nasty tone. And although knowing he didn't mean to be callous, she would oblige him, but she knew she would have been upset at his rejection.

Yet, he didn't turn her away. In fact, he practically begged her to keep him company.

He uttered, "I would like it if you stayed with me for a while."

She agreed and walked into his quarters, twisting her body one hundred and eighty degrees to survey him closing warding the door.

He was grieving; though Sylva wasn't his Thestral, Salem's anguish affected him. He was miserable because his pet was miserable.

Her heart broke for the dark man.

He was so misunderstood. He had emotions like every other human being. He was not emotionally unavailable.

He strode over to the bookcase and ran his fingers over the spines of the rare books. She was aware that he was only doing it to distract himself. He didn't _want _to read.

It was merely a distraction.

She rose to her feet and carefully ambled over to him. His head was low, his breathing shallow and quick, frantically trying to bottle up his feelings like he would a potion.

"It's unhealthy to keep everything locked away inside that shell of yours," she whispered softly. "Sometimes it's better if you get things off your chest... talk to someone."

She tipped her head to the side, trying to get a better look at him. He didn't give in to her request, and kept his eyes firmly away from hers.

That was until he felt a warm sensation grace his chin.

Her small fingers gripped his chin, pulling it towards her, forcing him to look at her. His gaze dropped to lock with hers. She was so close to him, he hadn't allowed that, but at that moment he certainly didn't mind. He wasn't pulling away from her.

Her amber eyes were incredibly inviting, and held just enough sorrow to portray her sadness for him, but not enough to have it become pity. He found himself examining her eyes; they were brown from a distance that changed to amber when only a few feet away. But, up close, he could see that they had gold flecks around the pupil and the outer rim of the iris.

It was mesmerizing.

He couldn't stop himself. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. He heard her gasp, but she didn't throw herself from him in disgust. She was allowing his caress.

Hermione Granger, the Gryffindor princess, was letting him, Severus Snape, the snarky Head of Slytherin, kiss her.

It was a chaste kiss, but it wasn't wholly innocent. He deepened it, encouraging her to do the same.

When she did, and he heard her whimper, he was violently snapped back to reality.

He pushed himself away so hard that he stumbled on the rug that lay underneath the coffee table. Once he corrected his stance, he stared at her, appalled at his actions.

"I'm terribly sorry... I... I didn't..." He sharply stormed into his bedroom and slammed the door, leaving a stunned and breathless Hermione in his wake.

She was hurt. How dare _he _kiss _her _and leave like that?

In her fury, the rational side of her brain kicked in.

_He is grieving, Hermione. It was a spur of the moment kiss, he didn't mean it. It was a "comfort" kiss._

_No, not all of that was "comfort"!_

_Think, 'Mione, this is Severus Snape. Why would he be romantically interested in a know-it-all Gryffindor like you?_

She sobbed and collapsed onto the sofa. She then decided that she wasn't going to leave. They needed to talk. He couldn't avoid her forever.

* * *

**A/N 2:** Sorry this chapter is much shorter compared to my other ones, it was just where this chapter took me.

Hopefully you all liked it. I told you it was going to be sad =(

Please review, they keep me focused ^_^ Maybe we can reach 180 or 190 at a push? Would love to reach 200 at some point before chapter 15 =D

Thank you for reading!


	13. Important Author's Note

I hope I don't get in trouble for this, but I just wanted to make a quick note to all of the wonderful readers of this fic.

First of all, sorry this isn't a chapter.

Now, I _**love**_ this story, I have enjoyed writing it and have been so touched by all of the amazing reviews. But, lately I've been thinking about it, and re-reading all I have written as I've gone for so long without updating, due to my life becoming so unbelievably busy in the last few months.

I've found that I can't help but feel that I want to re-vamp it _**ALL**_, make it better, edit it, add a few things to previous chapters and generally make the entire thing flow better.

This means that I want to edit and then re-upload the whole thing. It will not take me long to upload this new, "Redux" version, as I've already began editing the first few chapters and writing the next.

However, what I would like to know and hear are your opinions. I have a poll on my profile page, but if you want to give me a more in depth version of what you think, please, PM me.

I will not delete this version...yet anyway. But there will be no more chapters updates at the moment. Once I get a general idea of what my readers think, then I'll take the appropriate action, be that deleting this version and updating the "Redux" version, or just updating this as is.

Thank you for reading!

DragonflyXxXDancer


End file.
